


Exeunt, entracte

by kasumisou



Category: N/A - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:55:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 49,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26081533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kasumisou/pseuds/kasumisou
Summary: 25 year old Olivia Sandulescu struggles with anxiety as she goes through her days without any excitement. Her job is nice, but not thrilling. One day, after getting tickets to see 'Exit the king' she meets someone... twice. That someone is helping her build up confidence as she helps him build his career and future.
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: this entire story has been written on ”fast-forward”, meaning that some grammar and punctuation mistakes have been made. English is my 2nd language.

We work all week long so that we finally get to Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. During the last evening of the week, panic makes its way through our system, meaning that what the Internet calls “Monday scaries'' is real. I get the “scaries' every evening, dreading to go to work and dreading the arrival of the 2 days of doing nothing. I’m Olivia Sandulescu, I’m a 25 year old that scrolls through her Facebook timeline, wishing that she was broadcasting her trip to the lands of lavender near Bucharest or climbing a mountain near Brasov. The thing is that I am lazy, the gym makes me dread my body even more and myself and I only have one friend who can drive but none of us wants to take the responsibility of lending a car. Sorry, Bobby, we all know that you scratched several vehicles.

Back to my wonderful intro, since every story must have a character introduction. Oh, my, what if I had a playlist, just like in a TV series? Lykke Li’s“ Everybody but me” would be perfect, as I am walking down the street, facing the last working day, but, get this, I have plans this evening. Before you think of a late coffee date, I must say that it’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone. Dating is also not my forte, though, through my job, you’d think I have subjects of conversation hidden in the back of my mind. Dating apps are scary because you never know who you’re going to meet and I am a girl who develops feelings for the wrong kind of individuals. I’m not actually ready to open up to others besides my friends who have been by my side, through panic attacks and an assault that I won’t get into details right now because we’re supposed to be focusing on the positive. 

So I work at this agency, I’m in strategy, meaning that I have to lay out the wishes of the consumers for the brands we collaborate with. No, I don’t come up with ads and commercials - that’s copywriting. Anyway, I can’t reveal names of clients, but the most exciting project I have been part of was something for a shop that sells records. Now, I’m working with someone from the FMCG branch, they make detergents, exciting. The discussions were finished a few weeks ago, now I have to deal with some reports that make me want to drag myself to the office and start looking at numbers.

We aren’t that many employees, about 15 since we’re a small agency. I get along with Vivi Bratu, an actual copywriter (as you can probably tell, that’s what I would like to be but my depression temporarily is stopping me from being super creative and quick to come up with brilliant ideas). She’s 31, wears nice clothes made by Romanian designers from MoleculeF. Since she’s an avid fan of Mirela Bucovicean, she gathered money to buy something nice for herself. Tuesday - Control half off the price for alcohol, she’s there chatting with people from other agencies or someone from this industry. I was invited a couple of times to join her for after-work drinks, yet I shouldn’t be drinking alcohol and my ‘normal’ sleep schedule is a work in progress. Yeah, I know what you might be thinking: geez, will she lighten up and live a little? The thing is, I want to, yet it will take me some time to face some fears and not care what others think. I’d like to think that I’m getting there.

As lunch time comes, I get my fried chicken sandwich that I have myself (here, I’ll make a chef’s kiss gesture) and sit on a bench in front of the office’s main entrance. Vivi joins me shortly, carrying a salad, carefully tossing the ingredients in the plastic container. “Any plans for the weekend?” She asks, munching a piece of carrot.

Ah, yes, I can finally answer affirmatively. Bet she didn’t see this one coming. “Taking my mum and aunt to see ‘Exit the king’, it was quite difficult to get these tickets because of the early bookings. It must be great since everyone wants to see it.”

“I wouldn’t know, it’s not exactly my area, theatre. Andreea from legal might know something about theatre, as I’ve seen her go to Apollo, maybe she has seen the play. By the way, is your mother staying with you?”

“Oh, God, no! She’s staying at her sister’s house in Tei. We spend a lot of time together when I am going back to my hometown, yet she hardly ever gets to see her siblings. Not to mention that my aunt prides herself with a beautiful rose garden that she has been working on for years since she moved here.”

“It’s great that she’s not forcing you to let her in. My mother almost kicked me and my boyfriend out of our flat the last time she visited. I was THIS close to a breakup afterwards…” I’ll spare you the details, as the conversation was getting a bit awkward. I didn’t want Vivi to relive the feeling of quarreling with her partner and parents, so we got to talking about her new project and how I can be of service to them. I did, however, end up spending some time in the office after working hours so that I could meet my family at our meeting place at University square. My mother was so happy to see me she smeared lipstick on my cheek, my aunt hugged the air out of me. That’s their way of saying “we’re here for you, don’t you dare do something stupid”. They’re my rock, besides my group of friends that I sometimes call ‘pebbles’, as they have been there for me when I couldn’t get out of the house due to anxiety taking over my body or when I didn’t know what to do in order to get out of a shitty relationship. 

Okay, so, ’Metronomul’ Theatre is the oldest one in Bucharest, whoever gets a role here sure makes it big in the industry afterwards. Now, I’m not familiar with performance arts, but that’s what I heard since I was a kid. Tickets were being sold in just a couple of minutes online, I can’t even imagine what’s going on at the ticket booth. Needless to say that there was a line to get in and find your seat so the capacity must be huge. The building itself has an Art-Deco style, from what I gathered from the internet it has a big auditorium and other two small ones that were created due to the high demand of tickets a looong loong time ago.

Mum placed her palms on her face and smiled. “My goodness, can’t believe that he’s been performing for more than half a century. Can you imagine if he lives past 100 and gets to hold a world record?”

“Come on, he won’t be able to walk, let alone talk…” I whispered, hoping that nobody would hear me.

“Olivia! Let’s be optimistic, we’re talking about a valuable actor here-” My mother was looking over my shoulder, then she pointed to a table near the entrance that already had a few members of the audience purchasing items. “Oh, can you get me something from the store while we get the seats? Please, please, please? I’d like a souvenir, this is a night that needs to be remembered.”

“Yeah, sure… whatever.” I shrugged.

“Please hurry, otherwise they won’t let you in after a few minutes! It’s 7:58!” Mum tapped the glass of her wristwatch.

“Ok, mum, geesh… I’ll come back as soon as I buy you something.”

Elena shouted after me. “I want something too, anything works for me!”

The display was a very simple one: just a table covered with a white piece of cloth, a book and some leaflets and magnets on it. I picked up the book that had “Victor Manolache - 60 years of excellent performances” written on it, along with a black and white photo of a man with grey hair and round glasses with thin frames. There was no author mentioned on the cover, which was a bit odd, maybe he has written it himself? The magnets were just a miniature copy of the building and the leaflet was a replica of the one given 60 years ago at the “Mitica Popescu” premiere. I decided to buy the book and a leaflet, though it was the last paperback copy. As I was browsing, mum and auntie Elena, along with the rest of the spectators, have already found their seats, the clock on my phone showing the time - 8:03 PM. “Well, shit…”

The security guard didn’t let me in. “You had until 8 to get in, young lady, I saw you at the merchandise area and shouted. Rules are rules.”

“Rules are meant to be broken.” He frowned at me. He wasn’t having any of my sarcasm. “Who makes these rules anyway? At the Odeon they’ll let you in a couple of minutes after the clock strikes the start hour.”

“That’s not true and the rules are stated in the Internal Procedure. Look it up, it’s online.” Wow, helpful. Thanks, pal… I hugged my belongings and walked away. “You CAN, however, get in following the break, which is in one hour.”

“Sound good, I’ll make sure that I’ll be the first one to get in.”

Great, there I was, in ‘Metronomul’ Theatre, the only one not to get in. I left my mum a message to let her know that I am fine and that I’ll be right back after the break, you know how mothers get when they can’t reach you. Might as well take my time to check out this place, as I am sure that I won’t be returning any time soon and that I’ll snooze during the second act. I asked someone where the restroom is, I bet it has a chandelier that’s half the size of the one in the hallway. 

‘Second door to the right’… okay, first door: just a broom closet… As I walk a little more, I trip over a cable and I drop the book on the floor and it opens on the 5th page, a picture of Victor Manolache, aged 20, playing Mitica Popescu. I studied that play in school years ago, and wasn't actually my cup of tea. Never mind the play, I could have broken a bone, what are these people thinking?! What about health and safety?! Humph… my right knee cap hurts a bit, but I can sit up and move. Back to the restroom search… Ah, this must be it, since there is a light coming out of that place. I walk through the door and the light gets brighter.

What the hell, I’m back in the hallway? Or, wait, is this the same hallway where I was a second ago? It mustn’t be, since I can hear people chatting but I can’t see them, perhaps it’s break time. Or maybe it’s not… I can’t have been away for an hour! I look around and see only a man my age, sitting on a staircase and reading what looks like a script. He’s dressed exactly like Victor Manolache in the photo, with the dark coat, bowtie, white pants and a boater hat. A pair of old round glasses rests on his pointy nose and he has a moustache drawn with, most likely eyeliner, above his upper lip. He whispers something, while turning the page and, as I approach him, he looks up and smiles.

“Hello. Are you lost?”

“I, uh… it seems so, yeah.” I chuckle. “What are you up to? Are you rehearsing?”

The man gets up and folds the script. “Yes… It’s my first ever play in front of a big audience. Needless to day, I am quite nervous… Madame Georgescu, my year’s coordinator, was approached by Mister Iacob, the producer. He was looking for a young man who can play Mitica and… here I am!”

“Is this ‘Mitica’ character in ‘Exit the king’, or is there another play in the second room?”

He stares at me astonished, then he gets closer, excited. “What is ‘Exit the king’? Is it good?! Is it playing now?! Do they need someone in their 20s?”

“Whoa, calm down, dude.” I push him away, feeling like he might jump on me. “The play that’s on tonight's ‘Exit the king’, by Eugene Ionesco.”

“No, it is not. It’s ‘Mitica Popescu’, and I am playing Mitica. Who’s Ionesco? Is he French? Is he alive?”

I felt as if the room was spinning. Was he fooling around? You never know with actors, some might even pull a prank when you least expect it… “By the way, where are you from? I’m not an expert on women’s clothing, but I am certain that we did not get with the times yet regarding occidental fashion.” I was wearing a jeans jacket over my black T-shirt dress and a pair of black flats. By my side I had a white cotton tote bag with the words “bright minded” in an illustrated lightbulb on it.

“With your play’s era?”

“No… Come on, where are you from? England? Germany?”

This guy’s nuts. How could I be from another country? “I was born and raised here, in Romania… I’m from the seaside.”

The man smiled gently. “Must be nice… I heard from Mister Iacob that we will be touring around the country and that one stop is in Constanta and another one in Eforie Nord.” He got closer again and held his right hand in front of me, palm up. “I am Victor, Victor Manolache.”

“Oliv…” Did he say his name is Victor Manolache? He’s pulling my leg, it can’t be. There must be a tribute planned for him somewhere after ‘Exit the king’ and this guy is his doppelgänger. They dressed him up as his first character at the Metronomul and he’s even acting the part. 

“There’s no need to be starstruck, I’m an unknown student of the performance arts. By the way, what are you reading?” Shit. It’s the book about Manolache, I drop it quickly in my tote bag. “N-nothing, just some boring work report.” Finding myself clutching the tote bag handles.

“What do you do? Are you studying languages or law?”

Here we go again with the countries. “No, I work in advertising.”

“For the papers? As a reporter?”

Is this guy for real? I search for my phone, turning around, and when I find it, I try to unlock it but it’s not working. “Hold on…Dang it…”

“Is there something wrong?”

“My phone won’t start, I guess it’s dead… I just charged it before I left the office.”

“A phone? You can fit a phone in there? What do you mean by ‘charging’?”

“Okay, Victor or whoever you might be, cut the crap. It’s 2018, lighten up, you’re about to make it big. Make old man Manolache proud.”

“My old man is back in our house near Focsani. Who are you talking about? It’s not 2018… it’s 1958. Are you sure you are well, miss? Do you want me to get you a doctor? You’ve suddenly turned white as a sheet…”

1958? What?! Oh God… the hallway DOES look brighter and a bit different, as if it was freshly refurbished. What about my family… my mum… I want to call my friends to get out of here, I can’t think of anything… breathe… okay… breathe… just like you were taught in therapy… in 3 seconds, out 4…. He’s getting closer to me, he’s grabbing my hand and squeezing it, helping me keep my balance. As I am holding my bag as close as possible, I feel my wallet pressing against my thigh and suddenly… it hits me. “Show me your identification.”

“Are you from the police?”

I shake my head, biting my lip. “N-no. I’ll show my ID, here…” I open my wallet, show him the piece of printed plastic with all my details over there. 

“Olivia Sandulescu… place of birth… Just a minute, I’ll be right back with you.” And so he disappears, then comes back, carrying a very small notebook, like the ones my parents had. He hands it over and I read what’s in it. “Victor Manolache… birth year… 1938!?”

“Why, you thought I was younger? You flatter me…”

“No… it can’t be 1958… I was just back in 2018, this is insane. Have I gone mad?! Are you real?”

He squeezed my hand. “As real as I can be, but I’m not sure how I might be of service...”

I stare at him gaping, what in the world just happened to me? Can I go back? I take the book, put the photo of him as the character he was portraying next to his face and just stare at them both. Identical. In a split second, he grabs the novel and inspects it. “Were you sent here to spy on me? Not sure, though, how you got a hold of my picture as I am dressed right now and printed it, as I have just taken one.”

“You just took one? Well... that definitely explains it.” I held the book and chuckled, my mind wired with a lot of scenes from Doctor Who where the Doctor meets someone important but they don’t freak out and don’t want their subject of time traveling to flip either. “This little nugget right here sent me back to the premiere date, I was attending a celebratory show of your career. 60 years, can you believe it? Of course, this is a major spoiler, you won’t know a lot of words that I am saying because you guys speak a tad bit different than me. Yeah, you’re 80 but I have no clue what you look like, but it is reassuring, isn’t it, knowing that you are an octogenarian?”

“Can’t you just look at the other photos and show me? Oh, if you are from 2018 then that means that we get to live after 2000!”   
“Jesus Christ...” I forgot how the times were less complicated back then but it was nice to have something to look forward to: the apocalypse. As a kid, I made this plan where I take my family and our car and we make a run for it, away from a tsunami. Who lets a child drive at 6 years old?! “Yes, we live even after 2012 and the Mayan Calendar is a hoax. Oh my goodness, if you know stuff now you can quit being an actor and be a prophet instead!”

“But... What about my debut at the Metronomul? I have... five minutes left to rehearse! I feel like I have forgotten my lines!”

“Pshhh, nah, you will do just fine. R-remember, celebratory play, eh?” And with that, I do a tiny dance, swaying my hips left to right. He was worried., so I grabbed him by the shoulders. “Come on, Victor, you know your role, you know Mitica even though you’re from different eras. Think of it like this: I know past you, you know future me. Also, I have health problems and look at me giving you a pep talk! Now... I’ll try to go back to my mum and you show everyone what you’ve got. I’ll also try to come back and talk to you afterwards, I’m sure that everything will be fine.”

Though still puzzled, I wrapped my arms around his neck and embraced him as an encouragement. He put his palms on my back and I could tell that he was coming to his senses. I let go, feeling like I might burst into tears, give him a ‘thumbs-up’ as a ‘you got this, break a leg’, then turned around and made a run for it through the light that was coming out of the supposed bathroom door, glancing at his premiere photo. As expected, the light was getting brighter, then I found myself lying on the floor where I tripped in 2018 (hopefully that is the right year), hyperventilating.


	2. Chapter 2

“Are you alright?” An elderly man just asked me. He was very thin, but not frail, with white hair and a long pointy nose. This must be the present day Victor Manolache! It’s 2018, he has a crown on his head so he must be playing that king himself! “Do you have a pen and paper?” Shaking my head slowly, not sure if what I just witnessed was real or another episode, an aggressive one. The only thing I could do was to unlock my phone and open the digital notepad. 

“Alright, write down ’38 Mihail Petrini street’.” My hands were wobbling, typing the address the man told me. “We’ll meet there tomorrow morning at 10 AM. Ring the doorbell and I’ll greet you. I’m sorry I have to leave you here like this…Horia!” The gentleman called someone.

Footsteps could be heard faintly and in just a few seconds a smartly dressed man in his 30s appeared. That must be Horia, who answered: “Yes, sir? What is the matter?”

“Could you please make sure that the young lady gets back to her family safely?” He helped me get up and rubbed his back. “I am so sorry, once again, I must go on stage… get some rest and we will talk tomorrow. A pleasure as always, Olivia.” And so, leaving me without words, Victor Manolache hurried to start his performance. I wasn’t sure if he was acting while meeting me.

Horia smiled at me and asked me to lean on him until I got to my seat. We didn’t say anything to each other, he just kept smiling kindly. Something tells me that he knows what happened out there, and what I felt was real, also considering what the actor asked me to do. My mother and aunt were looking around the room for me. 

“Olivia! Where were you? What happened?”

I say in a faint voice: “P-panic attack, mum, don’t worry, I got it covered…”

“Are you sure? You don’t look well, honey, let’s sit down somewhere!”

My aunt put her hand on my mum’s shoulder, as if to show her that she’ll take care of something. “I’m going to go get some water, Paula, she might need some. Stay with you mum, sweetie.”

“M’am, Olivia is okay, she handled her feelings very well. I am Horia, assistant stage manager.” He shook her hand and smiled. “Happened to be around when she said she was out of breath. Guess you’re part of the team now, huh, now that we’ve practiced those exercises, next we’ll vocalize with the whole cast!”

“Yeah… thanks, Horia. You’re the theatre’s life saver.” We hugged it out like we were old buddies before we parted ways and he told us that if there is anything we need, ever, to let him and Mister Manolache know. Yes, even tickets, lucky me. Something tells me that Horia is no stranger to what went down near the restroom. That sounds a bit weird, sorry. 

After Horia took me to the entrance, everything became a blur, but Manolache’s performance was amazing, even if I didn’t get to see the first part. For a second I had the feeling that the story that was unfolding right in front of me was real, fearing that it wasn’t a dissociative episode. That performer, he’s the older version of the youngster I just met, whom I have hugged. His scent was that of pinewood and classical aftershave, was it Tarr, the one my father and grandpa used? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just released then on the market. Did my encounter give him the courage he was lacking for a few minutes? It must have, since he’s walking on that wooden floor like he owns the place, making himself be heard crisp and clear.

When I got home, I took a shower, slipped into some fresh pajamas and drank a cup of mint tea with honey to mark the end of what should have been an uneventful day. My mother was fast asleep by now, no point of ringing her to tell her what happened, and I won’t bother my friends with this. I’d rather keep it a secret between me and the actor. Should I go and see what he wants from me? What if he’s a murderer that nobody caught, there was once this story of a girl who was about to go on a date with some weird guy, he set up his place with plastic and knives and was about to kill her but she escaped and called the police. Oh, stop it, you’re taking it too far! One thing that couldn’t hurt me if I would do it was to google him, see what Wikipedia has to say about my new acquaintance.   
  
“Victor Manolache ( 10 December 1938 ) is a Romanian actor, also know for his contribution as a former theatre director of “Metronomul”. Born near Focsani, he was sent by his parents to a boarding school in Bucharest, where he would later attend the Royal Academy of Arts. His debut on stage as Mitica Popescu, aged 20, sparked interest in the Romanian audience, securing him various main characters to play for over 60 years of activity. 

His wife, Tatiana Manolache (nee Nikolai), born in Switzerland, was a script writer. She passed away in 1992. Victor and Tatiana have one daughter, Felicia, who is a lead costume designer at Metronomul.”

This still didn’t feel real, and I am beginning to question my sanity. Should I go to the non-stop Mega down the street and get a bottle of Tarr aftershave to smell like those kindergarteners do with glue? Browsing through old photos of him in various plays and movies, trying to find out or at least deduce something about him, I fell asleep with the laptop by my side.

—

Looking at my phone, to see if Google Maps was right, I found myself standing in front of an old metal fence. So I rang the doorbell, trying to keep calm, hoping that this wasn’t the last day on Earth for me and that I will get out alive. I held my tote bag as close as possible, feeling the weight of the book I purchased the day before. In a few seconds, the front door was opened by Mr. Manolache himself, greeting me with a wide smile on his face.

“Right on time, my dear. Oh, my goodness, I have been waiting for this moment for decades, so, excuse me if I am a bit giddy.”

He invited me inside the one levelled house, closing the gate and door behind him. I’m surprised to see that his humble abode was indeed humble, not at all filled with antiques as many senior citizens like to surround themselves with. The man asked me to take a seat in the living room. Cream coloured walls were mainly covered with bookshelves or pictures of Manolache and various acquaintances of his, while the polished oak floor creaked with every step we were taking. Between them was a wooden table, on which one could find two empty glass cups and a jug of water. 

“I try to keep it simple, water never fails to hydrate. Don’t worry, I would have never given you a glass of grapefruit juice. Have a seat and let’s chat.” he chuckled. The ‘Twilight Zone’ has begun, I can just feel it, yet I cannot say anything, so I just stare at my shoes. A minute passed, a grandfather clock was ticking in the background, yet the actor couldn’t stop staring at me, making me feel uncomfortable. 

“Well…? There must be something on your mind.”

“Not to sound rude, but… why am I here? I am sure that there are a lot of people eager to be sitting where I am at right now, but…”

“Olivia. There is nobody else I’d rather have sitting in front of me this very second, and there is nothing else I’d rather do than to speak to you. Well, to this version of you.”

“W-what do you mean by ‘version’?”

“We are not the same people we were a second ago. I know the future version of you as you’ll get to know past me. 60 years ago, I myself thought you were mad when you told me where you are from, I didn’t believe it until we met again a few years afterwards. Hell, at one point I was heartbroken, because we got along so well but being reunited again and again, especially in troubled times, led me to this day. I owe you my success, my happiness.”

This old man is up to no good, what is he rambling on about? Don’t think it’s a prank, though, who would want to waste tons of money on freaking me out? “What are you trying to tell me, sir? This better not be a rehearsal of some sort, because, if it is, you ought to tell me about it so that I could try and improvise…”

“This is not part of a play and I never once imagined it to be. You showed up in my life when I had no idea if the path I have chosen was the right one or not, you seemed to have the answers to all my existential questions. Obviously, you didn’t want me to know every single detail, or else I would have not lived a life filled with excitement of what the future was bringing me.” He spots my glass of water. “I know what you are going through, which is why I excluded the grapefruit juice, you’re not allowed to have any, it’s not a matter of taste, but of lifestyle. After all, you know past me, I know the future you.”

Old man Manolache was said to be one of Romania’s greatest actors, but who might have written a script that involved me of all people, as well as what I could and could not consume as a beverage? Did he talk to my family or friends? He excused himself, saying that there are some photos he would like to display, but he must go upstairs and get them. What a perfect time to snoop, maybe I will get to know him more than the public. Judging by the number of books in the room, Victor Manolache was an avid reader, owning volumes by different authors, such as Ionesco, the Bronte sisters, Tolstoi. In front of them were a few frames with ‘predictable’ photographs of the actor and his family during Christmas, end of the school year for a younger Felicia, a portrait of the late Tatiana Nikolai, his wife. She was so beautiful, her eyes were light blue and her light hair had a shoulder-length cut.

I hear a door being opened and someone coming in my direction, it must be the host. Unfortunately, I was wrong. 

“You’re back aren’t you? How many times do I have to tell you to leave him alone?” A woman, most likely in her mid-thirties, dropped a royal blue tote bag on the floor. Files with red handwritten notes scattered. She stumped towards me, looking furious. Her black hair that was tightened in a ponytail swished side to side. “Really now, you do have some nerve showing your face here, after I have even called you to say that you’re not welcomed!” As she was coming closed, I noticed that her hair was actually light brown, judging by the roots that were not covered by black dye.

I got up and took a step back, feeling as if I was going to get hit by the unknown woman. Resting my back on the bookcase, with my trembling palms slamming the wood loudly and knocking down some frames like domino pieces, I mumbled: “I am so sorry, m’am, I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s my first time here…”

The woman took a few steps forward and raised her arm, I was so sure she was going to hit me. “Is it, now?! Tell you what: I won’t call the police if you get out-”

“Angela!” The gentleman shouted. “Enough.” 

“Mr. Manolache! I had no idea Olivia would be here today…”

“Why must you be so surprised, of course she is here! I specifically asked for us to meet later so that I can have enough time to chat with her. Our appointment wasn’t until 2pm.”

“I’m so sorry, they called from the theatre, the manuscript must be turned in before noon.”

“Didn’t know that the Odeon was so demanding on a Saturday, I was expecting them to stick to the deadline of Monday. Either way, that is not a reason for you to pop up unannounced in my house and yell at my friend.”

Angela grabbed the papers and put them in order, leaving a manuscript on the table where we had our glasses of water. “Once again, I am sorry for coming here unannounced. I’m going to leave now, please let me know as soon as possible if it is okay, so that I can pick it up and submit it to the Odeon.”

“Will do. Goodbye, Angela, see you later.” Subsequently her closing the door, the man didn’t bother to look at the possible script and sat back across me. 

“Freaky. Everything is out of control, yet all I did was to purchase some tickets for me and my family to see the show. Does everyone get to time travel like I did while going to the restroom?”

“No, and that’s the best part: you’re the only one doing this, or the only one I know of. Plus, it’s not like you had something better to do, did you see Teodora, Bobby and Alex lately?”

How does he know my friends? Future me would have told him about my life in the 21st century. “I was about to call them, meet up for a coffee and tell them about the play.”

“Were you going to tell them about me or do we keep this a secret?”

“I would be lying if I said it’s surreal to be all of a sudden friends with someone of your kind.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

My stomach turned, it wasn’t because I skipped breakfast, I wasn’t feeling hungry. I took a deep breath and continued with what was on my mind: “You’re a public figure, you have articles written about you. Please tell me this is a joke and let’s get it over with, because I am very anxious right now. If you truly know me then you can imagine what I am doing through.”

“It is NOT a joke, it is MY reality, Felicia’s, even Tatiana’s. She cherished you, you helped her out when she didn’t know how to calm down, when she felt homesick you were there for her. When Felicia was born, when she was in kindergarten, even when she came of age, you were in our lives. I would have nothing if it wasn’t for you and if you don’t get to go back and make these happen, then I would probably be in rags, on who knows what street or even dead.”

“Okay, you’re being dramatic now and I’m not even trying to be sarcastic. What if I screw it up and we don’t get to the point where ‘Exit the King’ has a premiere?”

With all the drama involving Angela, I didn’t notice that Manolache had a photo album in his hand. He handed it to me and, inside, there were a lot of photos of me and him. Me and Victor making silly faces outside the theatre (oh, so I can go out of the building), me holding a little girl that might be Felicia in my arms while she’s trying to open a present, myself, Victor and Tatiana at their wedding, Victor and me back to back posing like James Bond, him being visibly older. That’s all I could see until he reassured me of something. “You can’t mess it up, Olivia. Just be yourself. Nevertheless, you are one human I will always love and don’t you ever feel like saying that you are a disappointment. You are not. You were and will always be a life changer.”

The older gentleman wasn’t about to cry, but I was, since it was too much to handle for almost 24 hours. Thank God someone was also barging in, and it wasn’t Angela coming back for her work. Felicia Manolache was a bit shorter than me, even wearing heels. She was wearing a bright pink summer dress, brown sunglasses and her light brown hair in a bun. The Metronomul employee was joined by another colleague, Horia, who was not dressed 100% smart this time, but in a light blue polo shirt and jeans. I am glad that I wasn’t overdressed, since I spent an hour trying to find something nice to wear to the Manolache house: a dark purple dress that I usually go for when I must join someone for an evening drink at a place like Control, the same flats I had the previous day. My conversation partner was well dressed, as expected, a light blue shirt and jeans, he and Horia could be twinning.

But nevermind the dress code of the morning, Felicia embraced me before I could say something, her expensive smelling perfume almost taking my breath away. “My darling Olivia, my dear, you’re not gone forever. I was so afraid that you would disappear forever two days ago.”

“N-no, I’m back… hi there.” I wave awkwardly and look at my shoes again.

“So creepy, huh? Seen me as a baby in your future and this is the first time we meet. Okay, Let’s get down to business.” Felicia clapped.


	3. Chapter 3

Felicia started the ‘meeting’, placing the photo album on the table. “Now that everybody is here, let’s break down the main points. Olivia, you said you tripped and the book fell and opened at the part where there was a picture that dad took before the premiere of ‘Mitica Popescu’.

“That’s correct. Does that mean that I have to be there on a certain day or trip and fall again and again until I get there?”

She laughed. “You don’t have to trip, silly, maybe that was an accident. Weirdly enough, everything started with that play so why not take it chronologically, and we have dad here to guide us.”

“We also have some pictures that we have taken with your Polaroid camera. On the second time I have seen you, you had your camera in your bag because your phone wasn’t working. No reception, which was great because, if you ask me, people get really invested in what’s on-“

“Wow, look how cute I was!” Felicia interrupted her father, took a photo from the album and showed it to Horia. “How cool is this? You can pick your outfits in advance!”

“My camera? How do you know of my camera? What if I don’t have it with me all the time?” I pulled my chair closer to the table, feeling the bag with the said Instax Mini swaying on the side.

“Oh, stop it, you have it with you when you hang out with your friends. I already bought some extra film packs that you can use. To think that these are actually trapped in those small cases.” Felicia added, scribbling away in her notepad. 

I can feel my cheeks burning, it is way too much to receive. Not to mention that 10 pictures are expensive. “Gosh, you don’t have to do that. Oh, man, I feel bad now.”

“Don’t! Consider it a ‘thank you’ for being on board with this from all of us. By the way, get ready to receive a lot of things along the journey. Dad was, and still is, a massive bookworm, he will most likely gift you your own copies of his favorite novels.”

The older man smiled and pointed to the bookshelf behind him. “Some of which I still expect to get back. Just kidding, they are yours, those stories live inside heart."

“Anyhooooow, about the outfits, let’s look through what we have here so we would know what I can provide from the theatre. You can’t go running around in Converse sneakers in the 60s or 70s, their time will come in the late 80s.” She got a bloc-notes out of her bag and started sketching some of the outfits. “If only in some we could see the shoes. You don’t remember, dad, what she was walking in?”

“No clue, I was only staring at her beautiful face.” Manolache gave me an adoring look, as if I was his long lost lover for whom he would donate a kidney.

Felicia slapped her father’s shoulder, annoyed, making the man laugh, as if he’d been acting. “Gross!! If you could stop leering at her for one second, old man, that would be nice! Right, who checks the shoes out if they are boring? They must go with the times, with the outfit and they should be comfortable. Run me through your belongings, my darling, we have to build up the inventory.”

These people were really committed to these shenanigans as if it was a TV show that was being filmed in less than a week. Was I on hidden camera? If I didn’t speak my mind now, I would be forever stuck in this situation. “Do you mind if I…?”

“Go ahead. The floor is yours.” Felicia pointed with her pen.

“Honestly, I just don’t know what to say. Everything seems like it’s too good to be true… You see, I am just a random girl in her mid twenties who struggles with her ‘inner demons’, to be in the theatrical theme. What I don’t understand is why am I the one to help build Mr. Manolache’s career and future? Am I ‘the chosen one’ like in ‘Harry Potter’, because it’s such a stereotypical thing to think about at the moment. Do I fight some sort of dragon midway, do I need a weapon? Forgive me, I am just rambling, my brain won’t shut up. I need a few seconds to think…”

Everybody froze and didn’t say anything in return. My mind was on fire, but I didn’t want to show any sign of weakness, not in front of huge stars like the Manolaches, even if he was there right after I came back from 1958. If it was a hoax, then why was he there in the first place? Why would someone waste their precious time and energy on playing a sick prank on me? If it was a joke, then how could they have known the model of my Polaroid camera? How would they have had photos of me and him along the years, most of the clothes that ‘I’ was wearing were already in my wardrobe, not sure what to say about the shoes since you couldn’t see them. I took the album and studied each photo. Standing next to Victor, him aging picture by picture, you can tell that by the gray hair and a few wrinkles. We look so happy there, not to mention when we pull funny faces together with Tatiana and Felicia during anniversaries and various events. I would love to meet the wife, to be her friend as Victor said. “Okay, okay, let’s do this. Fine. Sign me up, it’s not like I had something better to do than contribute to several people’s timelines. Which one do I get to do now?”

Victor slid out one of the polaroids. “I believe this one, July 4th 1962. That would be ‘The Lower Depths’ by Gorky, where I play ‘the actor’.”

“That’s so Predictable, dad. We don’t need another outfit for you, as you are wearing the same clothes that you have on right now. I think that we have to go to the theatre and figure out how you get to time travel.”

Go to the theatre!? But I had to meet my friends for a later lunch at 3 pm and it was already 12! If I spent a few hours at Metronomul and came back around 2:30, I would have enough time to recover and be the first one at the table so that they won’t suspect anything. We get our things and hop in Horia’s car, a blue Seat Ibiza. Along the way, I sit in the back with the older man and notice how Felicia is smiling at Horia. I think these two are an item, either way, her father doesn’t seem to mind like other dads would freak out over the daughter’s boyfriend. She unlocks her phone and turns around: “There is this song that was on a record you once brought us, it had disco hits. Dad and you entertain me, as mum was not a good dancer. She would just sit and sing along some lines. At one point, we would prance around the room and pretend we were part of the story.” 

The song she played via her phone was “Ma Baker” by Boney M, I recognize it from the intro. Apparently, it even inspired some parts of Lady Gaga’s “Poker face”. “Myself and my dad danced a lot while this was playing, perhaps that is why I thought of doing the same with you.” That is actually very sweet of her to share this memory with me. I try to imagine myself and him dancing together on this upbeat song. When I turn my head towards him, Victor does the same and grins like a Cheshire cat. That made me chuckle, he is silly, trying to make me chill. We pass by the Med school, then Izvor park with the Palace of Parliament. There’s a chance I get to see the old neighborhood before it was demolished. By the time the song was over, we got to the Metronomul. We parted ways with Victor in the main entrance. 

“While you try various methods of leaving this year, I shall go ahead and review Angela’s papers. You take care out there, alright? This time, I’m not a stranger. Say ‘yes’ to adventure, my dear, let go of the anxiety that wants to take over control, you can’t mess up in that scenario. Remember, I put my trust in your actions.”

“No pressure whatsoever, Victor. I really hope I don’t alter your future.” He holds my hand for a couple of seconds and looks in my eyes. His were a pale shade of green with a dash of determination. “You won’t screw anything up. Trust your gut.”

Pep talk aside, I arrive in front of the bathroom door, that is actually a portal to another world. It’s weird to stand there, waiting for the time warp to happen with someone you just met. “So, you dropped the book after you tripped…” Horia thought out loud.

“One hypothesis is that I trip and drop the book on the chapter that has the right date that I need to get to. But what if I DON’T have to trip, and just drop the book? Let’s see if this works… Can you try, Felicia? I am curious if you can use the book to get to 1962.”

Felicia took the book, opened it and dropped it on the floor, then ran through the bathroom door. No light, no sparks, she was still here. “I don’t get it… I can still see you guys! Maybe we should drop the book in a certain way, or try 1958 on our own.”

Horia tried to come up with an explanation. “What if it works just for you, Olivia? Maybe you have to actually trip-”

“The only thing I will do consciously about trip is listen to trip hop. Let me try…” I take a deep breath, just like I do before I go on with a difficult task. I focus on the book, open it to the photo of Victor in ‘The Lower Depths’, throw the book on the floor carefully so that it lands where I have opened it before and pick it up. To my surprise, a huge beaming light comes out from the restroom, mirroring the scene I witnessed last evening. Hugging the novel, I pass by Felicia and Horia without saying anything and disappear into the unknown.

I found myself standing where I was in 1958, in Metronomul’s corridor. Everything was as i remembered from that fateful meeting, I must have actually gone back in time since the rest of the gang is not with me. Picking up the book and trying my luck, I yell: “Felicia? Victor? Victor Manolache?”. Silly goose, you ought to investigate, check out the place by yourself. There is nobody at the main entrance except for a guard, whom I try to fool that I am not in the same building as him. The last thing I want is to get evicted from the ‘portal’. Turning around, I decide to explore the corridor. After the ‘bathroom-portal’ there were several doors on which I knock, asking for Victor. On my first attempt, an elderly and a bit overweight man answers me. “Who are you? Some sort of fangirl? Never seen one for him, you must really be smitten to go to such lengths to stalk him.”

I start shaking, he really is intimidating. In order to calm myself down, I pull my tote bag close to me, then hold it in front of him. “N-no, sir, I am here to do his makeup, I am Olivia. The newest addition to the Metronomul, freshly recruited to make you folks look like a million lei even when sweaty.” He wasn’t buying it, I can tell by the frown on his face. I am bad at improvising… he’s going to call the guard…


	4. Chapter 4

He studies me from head to toe, then smiles and grabs my hand, shaking it. “Welcome on board, Olivia! Make sure you work your magic on his looks, he needs some lovin’ from the ladies, if you know what I mean!”

No, thanks. “Let’s see what I can do! If I have some time left, I’ll pay the rest of you a visit and teach you a trick or two. One day we won’t be around to help, say, if you ever travel somewhere.”

“I like you way of thinking, miss! ‘Scraggy’ is next door, see you later!” What a weird nickname, but, if you think of it, he IS scraggy. 

The older actor closes his door, leaving me to face the fears on my own. What was I anxious about? Him calling the guard, me screwing up the timeline, getting stuck in the 1960s? I had to focus on what I had to do and also leave my worries in the third millennium and have a good time here. It took me a couple of minutes to brace myself and knock on Victor’s door. “Yes?” A familiar voice answered.

“I am here to do your makeup, mister Manolache.” 

He opened the actor’s cabin with a smile, then, when he noticed it was me, the horror of meeting a time traveller was seen on his face. “You.”

“Yes, Olivia Săndulescu, here to do makeup.”

“But... my makeup has already been done by someone else... and you disappeared... I saw you go through the light back then. You were nowhere to be found! Here there are no secret doors in the bathroom. Who are you?”

“I just told you my name-“ Didn’t finish my sentence, because he grabbed my hand and took me into the cabin. The place was dimly lit by the light bulbs surrounding mirrors that were fitted on four small tables. Pictures of various people were stuck between the bulbs and on the mirrors, probably of characters that were played or of family members. I took a glance at his prep table. Nothing.

“Where are the other actors?”

“They are taking a walk, tonight we are only 7 people playing, one of which is mister Anton, who is in the next room.”

“What is up with you, are you rehearsing?”

“Yes... I am a bit nervous because I don’t want to mess up the play. My stomach is churning and I’m a but lightheaded. Especially after seeing you here.”

Couldn’t help but blush after he made that comment. He stared at me for a couple of second, then asked if we can go on a walk for his break. Sure, why the hell not? When we got out of the theatre, passing by the guard that made me shiver a while back, a beautiful scent greeted us.

“Close your eyes and tell me what is your favorite color out of blue purple and pink?”

“Purple, I guess. Why?”

Victor ran a few meters behind me, yelling “Keep those eyes shut!”, but I couldn’t help but peek. He then went to the nearest hydrangea bush and snapped one of the flowers for me, nonchalantly. Returning to where I was standing, he bowed to me and gave me the stolen gift, saying: “I wonder if this will stand the test of time I heard that they dry up beautifully. Take this as a token of my gratitude that you came back to check up on me.”

“By stealing something that it’s not yours? Won’t they notice that one of the flowers has gone?”

“I don’t think they mind. If only they knew where it was going! Promise me you’ll take good care of it and store it well after it wilts.” The deed was done, and to throw away a perfectly bloomed hydrangea was a blasphemy. And, so, we started walking down the street, going towards Universitate station. 

Victor mustered up the courage to ask me something very personal, that I don’t think I have ever discussed outside of therapy. “How exactly would you say this depression feels like? I am trying to understand everyone around me so that, if one day, I have to portray what they are going through, I represent them accordingly.”

“Oh, so I am just another subject that you study outside working hours while you steal flowers? Is this sociology class mandatory, is there a test at the end? Do I compile a list of questions that you need to ace, say, what do you prefer: multiple choice or open answers?”

Victor shook his head, hiding his gaze from mine. “I apologize, I didn’t want to offend you, I just wanted to do you justice in the future…”

I go silent for a few seconds then go on: “Do you ever get those mornings when you don’t feel strong enough to do a simple thing such as getting out of bed?”

“No… not really. Sometimes, maybe, but not that often.”

I sigh and go on with my explanation. “Okay, well, in my case, it’s daily, and it’s not a thing that ‘just do that’ will motivate me enough. It’s not about being lazy, it’s about dreading a new day. When you lose someone dear to you, like I have lost my father who was my best friend, no amount of acquaintances and drinks with them can ever cover the vacant spot in my life. I’m not searching to replace him, God no! I did go to therapy, which is a one hour session per week with a psychologist where you talk about various subjects and ‘weave’ the path of ‘getting better’. Depression, what I have, will not be gone forever, like those people in online articles say, but at least I am learning how to live with it.”

“This reminds me of a play by Camil Petrescu: ‘Here’s the woman that I love’, where an architect goes to a sanatorium and falls… wait, I have an idea! What if I gift you a copy of it so that you can discover the plot yourself? Ioan’s book store is still opened at this hour and I bet that you haven’t any money from this time period.”

“Oh, you needn’t do that, I’ll search for it when I get back home.”

“No no no! I insist, you have your book about me but you haven’t got anything from me yet.”

“I have the hydrangea you blatantly stole.” I exclaim, taking a whiff off the flower.

“The flower will wilt, let’s go to the book store.” Victor grabbed my hand and guided me to the shop. We passed by the busy cafes on the Victoria passage, various people saying hello to my companion. It is frightening to think that where I come from it is abandoned and it smells like piss instead of freshly baked good and grounded coffee. There was a hat store and a bakery, a photography shop with portraits of random people by the window. That reminds me: I must take a photo with the flower and books from Victor! I didn’t even notice that I stopped to have a look at the portraits, they were done really well! One of them showed a lady holding a well-groomed white dog, while another one was of an old man with a handlebar mustache. The rest were, supposedly, family and group photos, judging by the children’s uniforms. 

“Is there something wrong?”

“No, just looking around. Truth be told, I’m mesmerised by the times you live in. Everything seems so nice and easy, there’s not drama of finding out something you didn’t want to know by snooping on someone’s profile, though it’s karma…”

“On the contrary: there is still some drama. When you wait for a letter or a phone call and you don’t hear from someone for ages. Or waiting in line for a piece of meat, if you’re lucky, or some bread and cheese.” His answer made me eat my words and check my privilege. Just because I saw George hanging out with someone like Clara didn’t mean that the world was on fire. Well, my world’s on fire, but right now I was somewhere else, in another timeline, when even the though of them existing was not even a things. “Shall we continue our walk?”

To my surprise, the book store is the one where “Carturesti & friends” is in 2018, I wonder if they knew beforehand. Even the layout was the same, with the cashier standing next to the door. 

“Good evening, Ioan. Camil’s books?” 

“The usual spot, brought some freshly printed ones yesterday morning. Is your friend interested in his plays? I’d expect you to know them my heart.”

“Not shopping for me today, buddy. My friend here needs an intro to the work of one of Romania’s finest writers.” He begins poring over the titles, searching for Petrescu.

“Miss, he said he’s going to buy all my bookstore one day when he will be famous and I’m afraid that day will come soon! I will be out of business!” 

“Now, now, Ioan, I barely had some SUCCESSFUL shows and you’re packing my bags and sending me to West End. Who am I going to be buddies with, Laurence Olivier?”

Ioan mouthed “I have no idea who that is” to me, making me giggle, while Victor was searching for a book for about a couple of minutes. And, so, in the sea of paperbacks, he found it: ‘Plays by Camil Petrescu’, a plain looking novel with a red and white cover. After paying for it, it occurred to me that he still has to take a photo with me, so I pull out the aqua camera and hand it to Ioan.

“Can you take a snapshot of us? You look through this small piece of glass, riiight… and you click on this button here, okay?”

Ioan told us to stand close to each other, Victor placing his left arm around me, me carrying the flower and the brand new book he got for me. I don’t think I have smiled like this for a picture in ages, I must admit that I felt happy, almost like I was on a very nice date. Crap, get that word out of your head, it is merely a day where you hang out with one of Romania’s biggest stars, no biggie. Flash! The tiny rectangle popped out, freaking the shopkeeper out. “Did I ruin your camera, miss?”

“No, no, don’t worry! This is how it works.” I leave the picture on the counter, it showing me and the actor posing in a minute. Before Ioan said something, we bid him goodbye and headed out. While walking, I gave Victor the photo we have taken and he put it in one of his trousers’ pockets.

“Say, Olivia, and sorry for my curiosity. Do they still have sanatoriums in 2018?”

“Yeah… there is also this concept of a ‘retreat’ for those who just want to go away voluntarily and ‘rehab’ for drug addicts. I wouldn’t necessary say ‘sanatorium’. I see my psychiatrist in her cozy office, it’s very welcoming and colorful, but not with the standard ‘Live laugh love’ messages on the walls. Those freak me out… I might freak you out, talking about this, aren’t I? I would need to be locked up judging by your society’s standards.”

He paused to think about what he was about to say next. “No, I don’t think you’re weird at all, you seem lovely to me. Different times, different illnesses. The problem here is that it’s not okay to talk about depression or panic attacks like you had. I saw a colleague of mine have one and I tried calming him down, he was sent to the sanatorium and hasn’t returned since. I asked about it because I do want to see you again.”

Victor looked me in the eyes and waited for a reply on my behalf. A few seconds in, he was closing his green eyes, sighing, leaning towards me. “Let’s go to the theatre.” I answered him.

“Why?” He asked, startled.

“I … have to go back or else my friends will yell at me for being late. They will suspect something is wrong and will not stop nagging me. I am never late to our appointments.”

“But-”

“I regret leaving you right now, Victor, but I will return. Next time will be…” Opening the book about him, I rustled through it, not even caring if I get a paper-cut from the speedy turn of the pages. “Wait for me… on the 13th of October… 1966.”

My friend looked lost, as if I just broke his heart. A part of me was heartbroken as well, because I was getting to know him before I get to shape his future. Even though we were different at the first glance, him - part of the wonderful world of theatre and me - a millennial who uses the internet on a daily basis a lot to try to answer my existential questions, we were sensible souls who like to laugh and enjoy a good book, possibly in each other’s company even while reading. 

“Four years. That can’t be… it’s way too long. What will I be doing in the meantime?”

“You go on dates to Capsa with beautiful, intelligent women. You act in… oh it doesn’t say exactly, but try to ace the audition for ‘Idolul si Ion Anapoda’. It is extremely important for the timeline, we cannot bend it. Apparently, things have already been settled. The premiere will be on the 13th the October 1966.” I say coldly, not leaving any room for negotiations. Manolache needed to keep on living and get the role of Ion during my absence.

“Now, YOU wait a second, Olivia! Give me Camil’s book, I have an idea.” The man took a pen out of his coat’s left pocket, opened the gift and wrote something down, I bet he even left his autograph there. Giving back the item, he bent his arm so that I could grab it and walk towards the theatre. 

“What will you be up to while I wait?”

“For me, only one day will pass, I guess. Right after this, I’m meeting with some of the folks that I will NOT tell you about at the theatre, okay, one of which is you, absolutely lovely as always towards me.” I did bat my eyelashes declaring that. “After I figure out how long I have been gone for, so that I can spend some more time with you the next round. Then, I will catch up with my buddies.”

Victor stared at the sky, thinking. “With Alex and…”

“Teodora and Bobby, or Robert. He’s the awful driver and Alex and Teo are a couple.” I start telling him tales from when we met, in school, as fans of Japanese culture, plus something about my family and what I do for work, without disclosing anything from my contracts. The actor seems like a great listener, I think it’s because he wants to get to know me. It is refreshing to have a conversation with someone who is willing to let you talk and then ask questions based on what you just told them. We get to the ‘portal’s door, I put the flower and book in my tote bag, hug him tightly as a goodbye. He kisses my cheek and my hand, we both turn red as a crab.

“À bientôt, cherie. I will try and play my best Ion for the sake of meeting you again.” victor takes out the photo we have taken and places it next to his heart. What a goofball!

“No, no. For YOURSELF, for your career... mon cher ami.” I thought that, for this occasion, I should do a Sailor Moon pose before I head back home. Spinning once and doing the peace sign, I saw Victor applauding giddily. I winked and held the book opened at his picture as ‘the actor’ in Gorky’s play and slid back into my timeline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! you have made it so far, I am very very grateful! <3 Without you guys, this story would be nothing, so let me express my gratitude via a gif that best describe's Olivia's pose:  
> 


	5. Chapter 5

Breathe, just breathe, Olivia. That's what I tell myself, it is going to be alright, you are not dying, you defied physics, time and space without an explanation. It's like Doctor Who with a twist. Calm down... you are safe. "She's back! Dad! She came back!" Felicia yells after her father, the man running towards us. She hugged me tightly, stroking my hair and helped me get up with the help of Horia. I was still shaky, my lips were trembling like crazy and I couldn’t find the right words to say what was going through my head.

The two took me to a nearby chair, that Manolache carried from a nearby room. The older man placed his hands on my shoulders and asked me: ”Olivia! The hydrangea and the book, do you have them?” Though still nauseous, I search my tote bag and find a dried up flower and a book. Gasping for air, I open the novel on the first page, where Victor scribbled in 1962 the following: “‘She creates…grace… in her own… image-‘ “.

“…’and brings Heaven to Earth in one movement of her hand’. From ‘Cyrano de Bergerac.’ Back then I thought that my nose made me hideous, I was extremely self conscious about it. But enough about my looks, you're back, you are safe. This is your home now, do you understand me? We will protect you no matter what, we are your new family, you are not alone and nobody is forcing you to do anything you don’t feel like doing.” His daughter approached me and set the strands of hair that were covering my face aside. 

I nod and look at the wilted hydrangea. "How long have I been gone for? It must have been about an hour in that timeline, I searched for you and we went to a bookshop, where we took the photo."

"It was 12:57 pm when you went to the '60s, and it's 2:34 pm right now."

A jolt of energy goes through my body. ”SHIT! 2:34?! I have to meet my friends, that's why I left."

"Yes, I remember that clearly like it was yesterday. I’m not holding it against you for suddenly leaving me waving at the beam of light.” Victor said in a sarcastic tone.

My strength is back all of a sudden and I jump off the chair. "N-n-no! No, no! I MUST BE THERE EARLY, otherwise, they'll be suspicious. I am never late, not to these meetings, not to anything."

"Horia can take you there, where are you meeting them?"

"Simbio, near the Unirii, I can walk, there is still time!"

"Nonsense, you can barely stand on two feet, let alone walk. Horia will take you and that is that. I don't want you to feel sick, I want you to be safe." For a minute I was protesting against his words but he was having none of it. The actor helped me get up and we walked arm in arm to the entrance of the theatre. I turned my head to my right and I saw Angela quietly observing us from the main stage. I have no idea why she would make me feel uneasy, but squeezing Victor's arm was a way of reminding myself that I am safe, so I whispered: "What is that lady doing here?"

"Not to worry, I am helping her with the script. At a first glance, it looks great but... I fear that the idea she had has used before in another play." he replied. Plagiarism? Could Angela be copying someone else’s work so that she can submit it to the Odeon on time? I know for a fact that doing this is a huge “no” in the industry I am in, there was once a guy working in my company who claimed Vivi’s ideas, she escalated the problem to the CEO and, after many months of anxiety, she won the case and the guy had to part ways with our business. Vivi was smart enough to send an email to the managers before sharing her vision with the rest, it is scary that someone you trust can be so vile.

Back in the Seat, I make myself comfortable in the back, hugging my belongings, but trying not to crush the flower. Victor leaned in and kissed my cheeks as a farewell, expressing his apologies for not coming with us, but he had to get to the bottom of what happened with Angela’s script, whether it is original or not. The cologne he was wearing made my heart skip a beat, it reminded me of the younger Manolache, hopeful and ready to shape his acting career with my help. I myself was acting, as a fortune teller, it was both fun and mentally plus physically exhausting. Horia and Felicia dropped me near Simbio, I slapped both my cheeks to focus on the present day and also to stop looking like a zombie. 

“Write me your address on messenger. Oh, don’t worry, I’ll see your message and accept it, sometimes I get creepy messages from middle aged women who love my dad.” Felicia laughed and typed her name on my Facebook app, pressed “add friend” as well.

I bid them farewell, it was 2:56 and, lucky me, nobody else arrived to claim the reservation. ‘Teodora Borcea’ were the magic words that got me to my well deserved seat. I must not be late, never ever, it is rude. Checking my clock, 2:59 and there they are, the lovebirds are arriving, Bobby getting to Simbio at 3:03. “Anything new at work, babe?” He asks, after ordering banana pancakes and a smoothie.

My drink already arrived, a frappe. Stirring the straw, the ice cubes wobbling side to side in the glass, I blurted: “I, uh, think that I will get some time off before hopping in a new project.”

“Oh, my, you didn’t tell us that you are stressed! We should have figured it out from the all nighter you have pulled two weeks ago! Emergency road trip?” Teo gasped.

“No! No, no, no, please don’t take any days off. It’s more of a ‘me time’ I am aiming for. I think I will also pay a visit to my home, breathe in some salty air.”

Bobby sighed, shaking his head. “I should send you a list of amazing yoga and relaxation centres. Shakti, or something, that hit the spot for me a while ago.”

“It sure did, you stalked the poor instructor a week.” Alex chimed in.

“Excuse me, no wedding band, plus, the internet is a free source of information. Ok, not free, 35 Ron per month does the trick at home, over 7 euros on my cell is all I need to function.”

When Bobby’s pancakes and the drinks arrived, we stayed quiet for a bit. Then the horror started creeping in. “How was the play? Did you mum like it?” I almost chocked on my frappe. “Yeah, it was okay, I am not theatre buff, but I am starting to, thanks to Manolache’s performance. Wow, 10 out of 10.”

“He’s such a force of nature, myself and Teo have seen him in Richard the 3rd. The few interviews he had given make him a mysterious aura.”

And then, a crazy idea went through my mind… “The project that I have to start after my week of rest and relaxation is a rebranding of the ‘Metronomul’. Vivi thought it would be great for us to help them boost their visibility and sales at the same time, and it is an ambitious project to be part of when you’re in my position.”

Silence. My buddies looked at me and then cheered. Bobby asked the waiter for 4 shots, even though it wasn’t the right time for them to sell alcohol. “Olive’s first solo adventure in the world of advertising! Are you nervous?”

“Y-yeah, you bet. Looking forward to napping before the whole hell unleashes.”

“If you do meet Manolache, let him know that we found him intriguing and let us know the deets, behind the scenes.” Knowing that the said actor expressed him affection towards me in two timelines today made me nervous, so I gulped the shot to escape fear.

The rest of the evening was uneventful, so I took a shower, changed into my pyjamas and placed the hydrangea in an empty glass. I don’t get flowers so I don’t have a vase. I looked at the gift and hugged the book, my key to a different dimension. Was it magic, witchcraft? I was too excited, but tired to give a damn. The day after tomorrow it will be time for me to ‘attend’ another premiere and I must submit my out of office request as soon as possible. 1966, get ready for me.

I got a visitor, Felicia came over and I am so glad that I usually do the bare minimum of keeping my room tidy every week. She also brought some pretzels and coffee from Ted’s drive-through, she asked me beforehand how do I take my beverage. Today’s fuel is a cappuccino with cinnamon. Breaking the ice, I said: "So... you and Horia...?"

She put aside the dresses so that she could sit on my bed. ”Yeah, it happened. We worked together a while and became very close friends, then we developed feelings for each other. I was so scared to tell my dad about us, it took me a few months to bring myself to have this conversation. Fathers are usually the ones who are tense about their offspring being in a romantic relationship, but, that's the cycle of life. To my surprise, he's been extremely supportive. I have no idea why I couldn't spit it out earlier, I felt bad afterwards because I kept it a secret from him, when dad was the one to be there for me no matter what."

"Victor has been, after all, the only parent you have since '92."

"True. Sometimes, I think of what my life would have looked like if mum was still alive."

Same, I sometimes wish to know what MY life would me like if dad was around, even for a couple of years. Could I have graduated from different schools or have a different career? It suddenly occurred to me: what if I go and meet my dad? No, that’s crazy… I have to stick to the plan and not screw up the timelines.

“Hmm… I see that in this picture you are wearing a powdered rose wrap dress that you don’t have in your wardrobe, but I think we have it in our clothing section. I’ll take it out tomorrow, you bring that grey coat you already have.” She pointed to the coat hanger in the hallway. Felicia organised the whole closet in piles around the room, placing each item I already had as if she was building the outfits, based on the polaroids.

“I can only imagine what you are going through… you got roped into this storyline without you consent…”

“Nah, don’t worry about me. It is incredible and it is the one aspect of my life that brings me joy and adrenaline.” Smirking, I drank from my cappuccino. “My friends told me to tell your dad that he is amazing.”

“Did you tell-“

I was about to drop my cup. “No way! They wouldn’t shut up about it and they’d want scientific proof! It would sabotage the whole deal. You guys are the only ones that should know about this crazy experience of mine. And Victor’s. And … yours. Okay, and Horia’s to some extent. Not sure how everything is working, it is overwhelming for sure… I did tell them that my supposed project before a break is a collaboration between my company and ‘Metronomul’.”

Unbelievable, Felicia was on board with the idea. “Fine, we’ll arrange that, we need to zhoosh it up a bit since people are not that keen on going to plays these days… I’ll make Horia and dad talk with the director, she’s cool anyways, Giulia Levinte. You have to meet her one day, when you’re not clammy from the time warp.” 

I huffed and puffed, she laughed and said that she was only messing around. We took photos of the items I already had, while Felicia wrote down the details about the items she had to get, including the certain dates I had to wear them. Grabbing my coat in the summertime was not exciting, but I had to do it. Thank God for air conditioning in the building. We spent the day going through my own timeline, she got to know me, details about losing my dad to cancer, my mother trying her best to raise me with the whole family, how I got to Bucharest and my work experience. It was just like an interview, only that the context was a more relaxed meeting. Felicia had to go back to the theatre and pick the clothes we were missing from the pile, I thanked her for the treats. After she left, I searched the internet for “Idolul and Ion Anapoda”, listened to the audio recording of Victor and other actors so that I would get a glimpse of how he portrayed Ion. I can say that I was ready for the following day.


	6. Chapter 6

If I had known what was waiting for me, I would have submitted the out of office request beforehand. As a model employee that I am (obviously kidding), I try my best to follow the rules in a rule-breaking industry. Today, however, I had to play against the guidelines and pretend I wasn’t feeling well, and, thankfully, it worked. I was informed by the HR department that I had more than 20 vacation days and I should have about 10 by the end of December. My coordinator called and reassured me that the office won’t crumble if I won’t be around to help, not that I am not of great assistance, but I must stay home and rest. If only she knew what I was up to. Trying to set my anxiety aside, I made myself a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs with a cup of cranberry tea. I was supposed to go to 1966 and I wasn’t going to ‘travel’ on an empty stomach. Got dressed up, except for the coat since it was boiling hot outside, grabbed my book, camera and headed towards the theatre. Felicia didn’t arrive yet, but Victor was there and he asked me to wait for him in the lobby. As I was leaning against the wooden doors, looking at my woven flats, I hear someone call my name.

“Wow, it is you. What are you doing here?”

It was him, George, flesh and blood. Out of all the people I could have bumped into, its George. God, why didn’t I teleport myself in 1966 earlier? That graphic tee with Star Wars characters on it, the dark jeans, those dark green New Balance shoes that he wore on days when he overslept and had to rush to the office, messy brow hair that was covering his glasses. When was the last time he cut his hair? Still a beautiful mess in my eyes. I lied, what else was I supposed to do since I was helplessly waiting in the lobby to time travel soon. “Waiting for my friend to pick me up.”

“At the ‘Metronomul’? Is there a matinee today? I don’t see any other people besides me and you.”

“My friend… uh… well, they work here. We have to go and grab lunch and maybe… talk business.” Shit, for a liar I was giving myself too much importance.

“That’s right, how’s the job going? Is it anything like you described it before you left?”

Small talk, great. I have a feeling that something will go wrong and that ‘something’ is called Clara. Any moment now… “It’s bearable, I’m out of office today to run some errands. Thank goodness for nice bosses. What’s up with you?”

Don’t say it. Don’t.

“I’m here to check the schedule and buy some tickets. Laura and Andrei said that ‘Exit the king’ was amazing, that I mustn’t miss it, especially since Victor Manolache is… getting older and older.”

Silence, and I can’t help it, I have to address the elephant in the room. How dare he point out that my friend is closer to death than his birth date? That little snitch… “So, you two go out on dates now, huh?”

George slapped his forehead in exasperation. “This again… that’s not what it is, she is my closest friend.”

“Close friends don’t hold hands and hug the way you do. At least not mine, maybe I should get some new buddies, then.”

“Why are you so bitter, Olivia? We had a thing a while back, now everyone is free to do whatever they like, I don’t go bossing you around regarding who you can or cannot see.”

“I am bossing you around? Oh, you have some nerve… So you confirm it? Just be a man and admit that it had been going on ever since we were seeing each other.” I shouted, tearing up. How dare he avoid this subject for years and years?! Thankfully, Victor came to the rescue. “Olivia? Are you ready to go?” He shouted from down the hallway. I couldn’t move, I bit my lip out of anger, leaving it a bit red from the pressure. 

“Mr. Manolache, sir, what an honour it is to meet you! I… I have seen you in Titanic Waltz, amazing performance. I was telling my friend here that I’m on my lunch break, buying tickets for ‘Exit the King’, which I heard was also incredible.”

Old man Manolache put his hand on my back as a reassurance, then scanned George from head to toe, smirking. “That is so nice of you, but I see that you are upsetting Olivia and I am having none of this.”

A tear escaped and rolled down my left cheek. I whispered: “He’s no friend of mine.” To my surprise he replied: “I know, darling. I know what happened.” I replied, feeling the devilish vibes piling up, waiting for hell to break loose: “He said… he said you’re getting older… if you know what I mean.” The horror on my friend’s face meant he was about to drag George out of the cultural institution and throw him in the heat wave. 

“Olivia! Sir, I didn’t mean it like that…”

“You DID mean it, George, don’t twist her words anymore.”

“Excuse me? Olivia, what is going on?”

“Such a pity to get on the actor’s bad side, you only get one first impression and I was hoping that your ‘reputation’ was just a misunderstanding. I was wrong. Did you buy the tickets already? You’d better, I wouldn’t want to make your date miss such an event. Olivia can confirm that it was an opening night to remember, her family would say so as well. I trust this girl with my life, Felicia and my dearest darling up in Heavens too. If Olivia says something, it is real and you should damn know that she hates lying, so much so that she blurts out the truth. So… did you buy the tickets?!”

George tried to say something but he couldn’t find the exact words, so he just nodded. “Great, see you soon with Clara. Don’t you be bothering Olivia or going around to tell people that she is a… well, you know what you said, don’t make me repeat it.” My former date looked at me, terrified of what might happen if he replies. He turned around and sped out of the building. Victor hugged me tightly, the scent of his cologne overwhelmingly being transferred onto my clothes. There was a very safe feeling in his arms, like that of family somehow. Okay, family and friends combined. Felicia arrived shortly after, she laughed so hard that tears were piling up when we told her about the Manolache vs. George confrontation. Sure, I need to fight my own battles, but if your friend offers to back you up, why say ‘no’ to that?

Opening the book on the picture of Manolache as Ion from ‘Idolul and Ion Anapoda’, I was ready to go to the 13th of October 1966, the premiere’s evening. Lightning and uneasy stomach aside, I was there, in 1966. I started banging on each door eagerly, some of the actors looked at me as if I am a weirdo, but I started shouting after Victor. I didn’t care, throw me out if you want to, but I just want to see my friend. Luckily, he opened the 3rd door (3rd time’s a charm) and swapped me off my feet in a tight embrace. 

“OLIVIA! AH, IT’S YOU! It’s really you!” Victor ran his fingers through my hair, as if to convince himself that I was no hologram.

“Did you miss me all these years?! ‘Cause I did and I just HAVE to tell you what just happened before I came here.”

“Sure, sure, sure… but I have to go on stage in 10 minutes. Tell you what: you sit backstage and wait for me, ah, now it’s your turn, and we can go for our chatty walk afterwards okay?”

I sat patiently behind him as he got his makeup done and changed into his costume, then sat backstage as he asked me to and witnessed magic unraveling in front of me. His acting skills were getting stronger, the public was too impressed by his performance, and he deserved every single laughter and applause from the audience. Even Frosa, played by Daniela Finta, impressed me, the director, Eugen Ilenei was asking me once in a while if it sounded alright. I told him that I was not a connoisseur, but it was amazing no matter how someone might want to change my mind about it. I approached his cabin’s door timidly after the play was over: “Hey there, man of the hour! Chat?”

“I thought you’d never ask!” He was going through some books, but set them aside and went to a separate room to change. Afterwards, we walked and walked from the theatre to the city centre, him filling me in the details of his life since we last saw each other. He got a teaching assistant job at the Theatre and Cinematography Academy, went on several dates but the girls were too materialistic and he wanted to tell me so badly about them, to see what I was thinking of the situations. He did wrote me some letters that he read out loud about the times when he had some difficult students or a bad date. I laughed innocently, being forgiven by my conversation partner, I wished that I could have given him a reply when he needed it the most…

I gathered courage and told him something that was on my mind. We sat down on the steps of the University of Bucharest and I looked him in the eyes. “My condolences for Madame Georgescu. I read about it after we last saw each other.”

“She left us peacefully, unlike both my parents. The saddest part is that I got to say farewell to them, knowing well enough that they were sick.”

“Oh my God… I am so sorry to hear this… it must have been so difficult to handle!” 

“My brothers and sisters looked after them, while I had to study and send some money back home from my scholarship.”

I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “My dear… you were just a child!”

“My mother passed away when I was 15, my father in my first year of university. I was also waiting tables in a pub where actors were dining on a daily basis.” He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and continued his painful stories. “I was… I felt… selfish, like I was not working hard enough to keep my father healthy. I collapsed one day from not taking any breaks for days on end, Mr. Anton found me and he said: ‘Scraggy, you’re not doing anyone any favour if you overwork yourself.’ That’s where I got my nickname. He sat me down, bought me a bowl of warm potato soup, a scrumptious steak with a salad on the side. I started crying like a baby, but Mr. Anton made me laugh my worries away in no time. I adore him and I fear the day that he won’t make us smile anymore. I know you know when that day is exactly, but, please, don’t ever tell me about the future in this way.”

I looked him in the eyes and said coldly: “Don’t worry, I won’t. In this dimension, we focus on your timeline.”

“Great!” He stood up and smiled confidently. “However… I cannot guarantee that I won’t do my best to stop some thing in your life from happening.”

“Hey! HEY! Don’t go messing my story, Manolache! We both don’t know what the future holds after I get back to 2018, you’d better refrain from hurting anyone I know.”

“How did you-“

“Silly goose, stop joking.” Punching his arm lightly, I get up and walk. “Wait, what DID happen between you and that boy? Come on, please tell me, otherwise I won’t know how I can help in the future…” he asks me.

Here’s the thing: as much as I hate reliving what I went through, I must, for the sake of the story and our friendship, tell him what went down. So, me and George met through my previous job, we met on several occasions in the kitchen, he was in the IT department, me in communication. We bonded over our love for Star Wars, Twin Peaks and peculiar musicians that represent our cultured guilty pleasures. He asked me out, it wasn’t agains the company policies. We went dancing in some underground clubs I knew of, he had no clue where we could have our dance offs on silly pop songs. Getting closer and closer, Rihanna’s ‘We found love’ blasting from the speakers, he leaned in and kissed me and, up to this date, it has been the best kiss I ever god, in spite of the cheesy song that was playing. Smiling like two fools, we kept kissing and dancing that thus, a ritual was born. We would go to bars, have dance offs with strangers, kiss until the sun was up in parks, chat until our mouths hurt, kiss again. It felt like the start of a good relationship, unless it wasn’t. One day he started avoiding me for reasons unknown. Our morning coffees went extinct, I tried to chat with him during lunch breaks but he was always busy. He never replied to my IMs, didn’t look at me during work meetings. I started feeling horrible, not knowing what went wrong. I started to suspect my drunk persona as the culprit, but, wait, we were just tipsy and we’d remember whatever we were talking about…

What I failed to realise was that Clara, his colleague from the IT department, returned from her Cluj temporary assignment. Now, I never had the chance to talk to her, when I was hired, she entered her last week of working from the Bucharest office. I kept seeing him with Clara, his gaze focused on her’s, ignoring mine. That hurt like hell, and it kept hurting even after I finally confronted him at an office party. I asked him what went wrong, he said ‘nothing’, I wasn’t buying it. Insisting, apparently he changed into somebody else. He shouted the following words at me, I remember them loud and clear, because I thought he was going to hurt me. “Cut it out, you stupid bitch, shut up already! Don’t you get it… I don’t like you. God damn it, shut up!” I couldn’t believe my ears, I thought it was some sort of a sick practical joke where I was the target. From the shock, I feel on the floor, he didn’t help me up, he stared at me as if he just slapped me, but he might as well have done, words like that hurt physically. He ran from the room, leaving me on the floor like a fool, not knowing what to do but sob uncontrollably. I gathered the courage to call him friends, crying my heart out. I had to take a few days off, I didn’t want to eat anything, I was too upset to take a bite even out the most scrumptious burger my buddies got me.

Now imagine I explained this to younger Manolache, trying to coin some terms such as ‘IT’ or “IMs” here and there. “I felt like I was not enough, like Clara was perfect and I was some sort of last option if girls went extinct on this planet. Why eat when I wasn’t perfectly proportionated, when I don’t make going to the gym my religion? I tried doing some exercises a month and felt even more miserable than I was before, I avoided eating in public, I avoided him and her. My work was getting unbearable as well so I had to find another place and leave this toxic environment I was in. Luckily, through Bobby’s acquaintances, I found something and moved on… or that’s one way you could put it.”

We continued our walk back to the theatre. “Well, I am glad that you are being yourself and you succeed at it! I am sure that you will excel in your work now that you have no distractions.”

“Yeah, me taking a week off work all of a sudden because ‘I am not feeling well’ and lying to my friends about where I am going and what I’m actually doing.”

As we approached the building’s entrance, a small earthquake shook us. He grabbed me and we ran somewhere safe, while the employees were exiting the theatre. We couldn’t ignore the sound of shattering glass that could be heard during the earthquake. “What happened?!” Victor asks Eugen.

“Nobody knows, but the chandelier is smashed into smithereens!” The man adds, gasping for air.


	7. Chapter 7

While everybody was outside, I felt on the verge of a panic attack. “Oh, God, not now, please…” I mumbled. Victor grabbed my hand and we made a run for it in the building, ignoring Mr. Ilenei’s protests. The chandelier from the hallway was smashed indeed, we had to be careful not to step into any shards of glass. “You have to return, it’s not safe for you right here!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, it’s like he was pushing the ‘eject’ button. Exit Olivia Săndulescu, as soon as possible. “What?! No way, I’m fine, why must our time here be shortened by an earthquake?”

“Listen, it’s not safe. What if the room was destroyed and you couldn’t travel back to 2018?”

“I could have stayed here and be happy with-”

“With what? You have no ID, the communists are already going around the theatres and music halls to keep an eye on the artists. It is dangerous for someone who doesn’t belong in this timeline to wander around this place every day, especially with actors. Do you understand me?” I didn’t want to look into his eyes, as I turned red. Maybe I could have showed up in front of my grandparents’ house, lie about being a long lost niece of one of them… But it was tricky and I am the world’s lousiest liar. I wanted to meet my father when he was younger so badly, to talk to him, I wanted to stay a bit longer with the actor and chat and just forget about my boring life back home. “When will I see you again?”

I opened the book and saw the next photo of him. “21st of September 1973…” That is ‘Here’s the woman that I love” (Iata femeia pe care o iubesc). It said in the book that he had the chance to submit this play to be directed by Adelaida Ciubotaru, one of that generation’s most important stage directors. 

“Good, noted. I will therefore wait for you in the same place.” He paused for a bit, then smiled. “I have an idea! I’ll make it up to you somehow, don’t you worry about it!”

“But… how, and… why? You shouldn’t bother with that…”

“I am not quite sure yet, but I’ll find a way, just like you always find time to visit me, even if it’s year apart.”

“Sorry about that, I can just imagine how difficult it must be for you to wait around for someone like me to show up. I don’t know how I will be able to get here without the book, but I will try my best to sort things out.” The actor hugged me tightly, none of us wanting to let go because who knows what might happen if things don’t go according to the plan? Also, what was the plan anyways, only present-day Manolache knew exactly what went down. This time, he kissed my forehead like I was a youngster and I ran through the door, book in my hand, without looking back.

2018 was as bright as ever, but I can say that I didn’t feel any nausea this time, just panic. “I have to go back! I have to see what went wrong! I don’t think it was supposed to happen that way.”

“What is the matter? Did anyone get hurt?!” Felicia exclaimed.

“N-no… just an earthquake.”

The older gentleman gave me a frowned look. “It was just an earthquake, dear, everybody felt it. Sure, not like the one in 1977-”

“Still! It was super weird, I have a feeling that something is up. Damn, and I can’t return to 1966… the next date is in 1973! It’s too far away! Can we try and see if any other pictures might work? Something between 1966 and 1973?”

“Fine, I’ll go get one, I have to search the archives for a bit.” Victor sighed and then left the hallway.

“Speaking of pictures, did you get a snapshot of your journey?” Horia asked.

“The picture? Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about it… it’s with Victor. We’ve taken it after the show, Eugen Ilenei was the one who actually took it.” 

“THE Eugen Ilenei?! Gosh, now I envy you so much, you got to see his work. Too bad he passed away in the 90s, if I had the chance to time travel, seeing plays would be one of my main objectives. Was it good?”

“‘Idolul and Ion Anapoda’? I laughed a lot, it was a bit weird to watch from backstage, but it made me feel like I was in the VIP section. Frosa had a major character development, I am now very fond of her.”

“Ah, Daniela Fintă, what a heart of gold she has. She was supposed to be in ‘Exit the king’ but she fractured her leg. She’s okay now, my dad talked to her on the phone a few weeks ago.”

We waited for the actor to show up with the albums, but Felicia had a better idea: search for the 1973 dress I wore. She looked at the polaroid that was already taken, I had an orange summer dress that was not at all in my wardrobe, and started searching for it in the rooms filled with costumes. Myself and Horia go to talking about show business in general, he told me that he did go to study performance arts at university, graduating with a degree in Theatrology. He did a few internships here and there and got to the ‘Metronomul’ where he met Felicia, he knew of her in his uni years because she was part of another class. It’s actually cute how they got together, I wonder if something like this will happen to me, but I lost all hope since the incident with George. Now I think that he’ll run around and tell everyone he sees that I am a bitch, but, frankly, after the scene with Victor, I don’t give too many damns. I noticed that I lost the book somewhere in the building and went searching with Horia. Panic, panic, panic, all that was going through my head. We found Angela looking though the book, in front of the door. 

“Hey! That’s mine!”

“Easy, now, Olivia, she can’t get through…” Horia whispered.

“If only you could be more polite. Here, take it. I already know what happens anyways. The publishers asked me to provide some information through Mr. Manolache, which I did.”

“Congratulations, but it’s time for you to hand me the book.”

“Fine, here you have it. If only you’d be polite for once, Olivia.” She tossed the novel in my direction, disgusted, making me drop it instead of catching it. I notice that the bookmark I left at the previous image was still there, meaning that Angela only read that page. “Where is Mr. Manolache anyways?”

“None of y-“

“Searching for something, he’ll be back in no time. How is the play coming along?” Horia tried making small-talk with her.

The woman walked up to him, smirking. “Well, if I do say so myself, I have a final draft to submit by the end of the week, that’s why I am searching for Mr. Manolache.”

Felicia hurried down the corridor, with the orange dress in one hand. I followed her into the bathroom to get changed. I had no idea what Horia and Angela might be talking about, but Felicia giggled and told me: “I cannot stand her, she is always up to something. I feel the sudden need to protect my father from her, but you can’t argue with one of Romania’s greatest actors, can you?”

“You can rant all you want to me, I feel the same.”

“Girls, I got the pictures!” The man shouted from the hallway. “Angela, dear, let’s go and discuss the script, I am so sorry to have kept you waiting”. When we got out, the two were already gone. The coast was clear and I was able to practice. First, I tried the simple photos, I tossed them into the air, through the door. Nothing. Then, I placed each of them in the book. Still nothing.

“Damn it! What does it take for a girl to get to the desired timeline?!”

“I think the trouble here is that you can only go according to the book. If you try and go to the past or some date that is not presented in the book with a picture, I think it won’t let you in.”

Alarmed, I took my stuff, opened the book to 1973 and took a deep breath. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest first?”

“Horia, I have to do this. If I don’t face the music, I won’t know how to dance like a pro through life.” I have no idea what that was supposed to mean, but it sounded super mature.

“Woah, that was smooth… Good luck, sweetie.” Felicia hugged me and away I went.

21st of September sure was chilly, I had no coat with me, I left it back at the other ‘Metronomul’. Trembling, I made a run for it, looking for Victor. Luckily, he was sitting near the backstage. Once again, he swept me off my feet and started bragging to his colleagues that I have finally made it, as if I was the celeb they wanted to meet. What have I done to deserve so much attention? The introductions were interrupted by someone who announced that they will be up in 5 minutes. 

“Oh, oh, picture! Picture time!” I asked one of the scenographers to take a snapshot of us two with the set before the whole show started. I handed my friend the picture and asked him to leave it one of the trouser’s pockets. “For good luck.” I added.

He winked back at me and I sat patiently backstage like I did the last time. What was the play about? Mihai Stănculescu comes to the 'Snagov' sanatorium, he is a promising architect who tried to commit suicide. He had a nervous breakdown because of Bella, a cabaret singer who rejected him. The plot twist is that Bella’s sister, Ana, works at the sanatorium, and the famous professor Omu tries to help Mihai out. You could swear that Victor was Mihai, I hope he didn’t make his stage partner, who played both Ana and Bella, uncomfortable. The play took almost one hour and a half, but for me time flew extremely fast since I enjoyed myself. After the performance, I ran towards my sweaty and exhausted buddy.

“Wait, there is somebody I would like you to meet. Adelaida! Here she is, Olivia Săndulescu! My ‘muse’, so to speak.” The stage director, Adelaida Ciubotaru, was a woman in her mid thirties, with short blonde curly hair. A pair of rectangle glasses were resting on her small nose, she was wearing a long blue dress and sandals. She looked me up and down then grabbed my hands and said: “Girlie, I have no idea what you have done to him, but he gave Mihai Stănculescu life, the character was living right in front of us!”

“I gifted Olivia a novel of Camil Petrescu’s a while back, I wanted it to be a surprise. The story was inspiring, and I am sure it suited your taste, right?”

Wait, what? It was for me?! He asked a renowned director to reenact this play for me?! I didn’t know what to add, really. One might take offence of their mental state being satirised like this, but this was cool to watch. “I, uh, I am honoured to meet you.” I shook Mrs. Ciubotaru’s hand though mine was surely shaking with trepidation. “She’s so sweet, Victor, no wonder you are so smitten with her.”

“Eh, let’s not exaggerate.” I found myself saying that. They both started laughing, Adelaida excusing herself, thus I got to be alone with him again. The man headed to his cabin and grabbed a towel and drank a bottle of coke in 4 gulps. “What have you been doing since the earthquake, did they find the cause?”

“No, not at all, which is really weird. Even the seismologists couldn’t put their finger on it. It makes me think that it has something to do with the time travel. What if someone tried to get in and it wouldn’t let them in?” 

“That’s impossible! I tried this with someone close to you in my days and it didn’t work, we tried doing this with my copy of the book.”

“Oh, well, I guess we will never know… I take it that you didn’t get to catch your breath between the travels, right?”

“Yeah, I only got to change outfits and try to get to you before this event. I tried with various photos of your performances, it did not work…”

“Maybe the book is the only thing that activates this… portal.”

“Okay, enough about the book and the means of my transportation to your days. What’s been going on with you?” He started telling me that he has been seeing this girl, Rodica, for a year, but they broke it off since she met someone else and he wasn’t that invested in the relationship from the start. He added that his mind is always on work mode, plus, he admitted to caring about me more than he could imagine. That made me turn bright red, because I too was very fond of him, but not in that way. “It’s not going to happen, Victor, I am so sorry. You are way too old for me, if you think of it, and I cannot stay here with you. You said that yourself!”

“I was desperate to keep you safe I wasn’t processing what I was blurting out.” He grabbed my hands and gazed at me. “You are the source of inspiration, you keep me going as an actor. I went to a sanatorium undercover for this role not because I wanted to ace the premiere night, but because I wanted to know how you feel every day. Hear me out, you are NOT crazy, those unfortunate souls are not out of their minds. Trauma is real and scary, I connected through the therapy to my own demons: what happed between me and my parents. It made me accept my flaws and I was so lucky that I gathered the courage to face my regret. I understand how hard it must be for you everyday to deal with the guilt you are feeling and the loss of your father, you are a true fighter and I am so grateful to have someone as strong as you to guide me in my life.” 

I didn’t know what went through my mind the second he finished his speech, but I teared up and … well… I kissed him. His lips were so soft, even though they were actually thin. I didn’t process what I was doing, but when I backed off, he kissed me back passionately, like he was one of the movie’s main characters longing for their long lost lover, being reunited with them and sealing their feelings with locked lips. I ran my fingers through his hair, automatically. Our seconds of lust ended after someone banged on the door. “SCRAGGY! I HEARD MISS OLIVIA IS HERE, WHY KEEP HER TO YOURSELF, LET ME SEE HER, IT’S BEEN A WHILE!”

“M….mister Anton! I’ll be out in a second!” Victor muttered.

I couldn’t look at him because of my embarrassment. WHAT THE HELL WAS I EVEN THINKING!? Holy crap, it felt good to kiss someone, but it was the wrong person.

“You alright, Olivia?” He touched my shoulder and I shivered.

“This… this was unexpected. You’re too old, this might have felt good but we are not doing this again, do you understand me?”

Manolache nodded and set a strand of my hair off my face. “It’s a pity, but, sure, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable around me. Think of it as our little secret, our bond got stronger”. It sure did.


	8. Chapter 8

Jesus Christ, have mercy, for that was unthinkable of me. What is going through him mind right now? Does he hate me for doing that? Will we get to talk about it or we just brush it off? Mr. Anton was waiting outside and I guess we’ll have to settle this later. The moustachioed man opened the door and he looked as robust as I remembered him. He took my right hand into his and kissed it, old fashioned greeting. “Ahaha, there she is! Where have you been, young lady? He wouldn’t shut up about you, but never told us where you were currently working from. I went to Constanța, asked the employees about you, but they said they never heard of Olivia Săndulescu. You’re from the seaside, aren’t you?”

“T-that’s right, Mr. Anton. That was so thoughtful of you. My colleagues must have messed with you, I was for sure in another location by the time you arrived in Constanța. Did you enjoy your stay?”

“It was amazing! The hospitality - out of this world. Other cities should take notes, remember Bacău, Scraggy?”

“How could I forget? We got food poisoning, how unfortunate. Too bad I couldn’t go back home to Focșani to enjoy a home made meal.”

We spent some time with Mr. Anton, who monopolised the discussion with tales from his tours with Madame Georgescu. They once went to Sinaia and she won a lot of money at the roulette. She never married, but had been living with an architect who was actually fun to be around and was a friend of the group of performers. When he passed away, she inherited a big part of his money and invested it in the ‘Metronomul’, as he wished. She was quite strict with Victor in his early Royal Academy of Arts days, but to him she was more of a mother figure. A part of me wanted to time travel and meet her, but it was too late, I could never go back. Maybe she would have helped me with a confidence boost, for mine was extremely low. The meeting with George definitely caught me off guard. 

“Are you joining us for a late night drink, miss?”

“How long have I been here?”

My friend looked at his wrist watch and said: “About 3 hours. Surely you can stay a bit longer!”

Shoot, 3 hours?! Everybody has been waiting for me for so long! I had to return as soon as possible. Waving at Mr. Anton, I ran towards the bathroom door, looking through the book so that I could tell him about the next time we will meet.

“Hey, Olivia! Where are you going?! You’re not going to leave right now, are you?”

“Sorry, buddy, Cinderella has to dash! Older you is waiting for me for quite a while back home. Let’s see… 27th of April 1976 my ‘tomorrow’. All I can say about this date is that a wish will come true.” He was going to portray Hamlet, a dream of plenty of actors. But, let’s admit that sounding like a fortune cookie was fun. 

“27th of…? Sorry, you spoke too fast!”

“April, 1976.”

“But that’s in less than 3 years!”

“And what do you suggest I do about it? I tried coming back earlier, I did. I tried with those pictures and it didn’t work! I am here now, and I will return in 3 years.” 

I waved goodbye, turned around and back I was to… an empty hallway? Where was everybody? Did they go home? It kind of figures that they should’t stay and wait for me for hours on end. I went around the building to find them, they were actually near the main stage. The older man was looking through some papers, which I assume must have been Angela’s script, Horia was reading a book and Felicia was sketching some outfits for an upcoming play. “Hey! How was it?” She asked.

“Uh… okay, as usual. We had some catching up to do, which is why it took me so long to get back. So sorry… ” 

Victor started smiling while putting away the pieces of paper, obviously, he knew what had happened. “I’m starving, do you want to go and grab a bite to eat? There’s this lovely bistro down the road, I am craving a pepperoni pizza, not sure why.”

Horia made some puppy eyes and hugged his girlfriend. “Will you share it with me?”

“We’ll get two small ones, because I know that you’ll want one and a half, and I can only eat about 3 slices.”

At the bistro, the two lovebirds were arguing regarding the type of pizza they should get, while the actor was very silent. Did he expect an apology from me for the ‘kiss and run’? I guess that being blunt in this situation might get me an answer rather than beating around the bush.

“Say…Victor?” I whisper to his ear. 

“Hmm?”

“Did you hate me? I basically abandoned you back there.”

The man frowned, that really made my heart sink to my stomach for a couple of seconds. He then chuckled and placed his hand on mine. He got me with that one. “Come on, Olivia, it was only natural. Sure, it meant something to me back then, it still means something because you can’t erase what happened. But, as you know, I have long moved on and … look what happened ever since that moment.” He pointed at Felicia, who gave Horia a peck on the lips.

We got our food and I was so hungry I literally wolfed down the creamy cheesy pasta I ordered. Time went by, chatting about various theatre shenanigans and important figures. I got to my flat at about 7 PM, it was a very long day for me. To shake all these emotions off, I did the usual combo: shower, changing into pyjamas, sit on my bed and do nothing. I couldn’t concentrate of reading a book, nor did I feel like scrolling through my social media platforms. Embarrassment took over my body, every muscle ached and my face was hot. What was Brandon Flowers of The Killers singing? “It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss”. I haven’t kissed someone since I went out with George, but it sure took some tension off my shoulders if I think about it. Why was I so worried? It happened ages ago to the man who eventually got married and had a daughter. I have nothing but respect for him at the end of the day. I got off the bed and turned off the lights, then put my head on my pillow and fell asleep instantly. As I always put my phone on ‘do not disturb’, I can’t hear who messages or call me, unless they are my mother, my boss or my 3 close friends. The next day, I woke up to a lengthy text message from a number I didn’t have in my phone’s contact list. It wasn’t hard for me to decipher who the sender was. It was sent at 1:18 am! Listen to this: 

_“hey.  
let me start by saying how sorry I am for the way I have behaved. I should have known that what I have done is inexcusable and I shouldn’t have said that in the first place. Since we are not friends on Facebook anymore, the appropriate way to contact you was via your phone number. I hope I didn’t wake you._

I am sorry once again, and also for sending this message so late at night, but the only way I could express my feelings is in writing and thoughts were easier to write at this hour. Can we please meet up and talk about it? Give me a call when you get this, please! I am sorry was an asshole.

G.”

First of all, I slept like a log for the first time in forever after re-assuring myself for a few hours that snogging a man who is waaay older than you even in the 70s and is now widowed and had a daughter was an accident. Second of all, it took a ‘celebrity’ to make him realise that that is no way to speak to a lady. To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. Ignore.

I have agreed to meet the gang at the theatre at about 10, it was 8:02 in the morning, which left me plenty of time to get dressed in today’s outfit (a yellow blouse and a light blue cotton midi-skirt, to which I added some light brown sandals) and go and have breakfast in the city centre. Nothing fancy, just a chocolate croissant with a coffee from Missy’s, a small business recommended by Vivi. She was right, this combo was extremely delicious and I really got an energy boost. It is important once in a while to treat yourself nicely, even with small gestures like this. I sat down and enjoyed my meal and cafe late on the University stairs, reminiscing of the time me and Victor sat there and chatted in 1966, 10 years prior to the date I was supposed to go to in about an hour. Nothing major happened in his life, besides losing a few older mentors and acing great roles. I started to worry for him romantically speaking, because I had no clue when or how he meet Tatiana Nikolai. All I could hope for was that it wasn’t too late to bring those two together. By the time it was 9:47 am, I was well fed and well dressed for 1976. To think that I would be seeing everyone, some for the last time, before the 1977 earthquake scared me. I shook my head, I didn’t want this thought in my head. 

The only person I saw in the building was the actor, who was going through his script when I arrived. “Olivia, I am so happy you have made it! Look, I have rehearsals today, unfortunately. My daughter is working on some costumes and Horia is out on a business meeting. Do you think you are alright on your own?”

“Surely I can manage it, don’t worry, I’ve done this before. Camera - check, polaroids - check, book - check. Not sure about the sense of humour, I miiiight have left it at home.”

“It’s too late to go back and grab it, anyways. I think you’ll be fine. Come, the least I can do today is to see you off. Nice outfit, apropos, I remember it well.”

Opened the book, 27th of April 1976, premiere night of Hamlet. By the time I got there, the show had already started. Thinking that I could surprise him, I decided to wait in his cabin until he got back. Muffled applauses could be heard from time to time, that made me smile because it meant that it was a successful evening. I went around the tiny room and inspected every corner. It was surprisingly clean for someone like him. He had pictures of him and his family stuck to the mirror, as well as some with Mr. Anton and other important actors. I recognised Aristide Zaharia, an actor I saw when I was little on various black and white TV sketches. That trademarked curly black hair and aquiline nose… We were both alive right now, if I could just walk up to him and tell him to stay safe in 1977… Silly me, you’re not allowed to mess up the timeline, but, then again, it wouldn’t hurt to try. Who knows what the show-business would look like if Aristide was still alive! Wait, wasn’t he in Hamlet tonight? That gives me a great idea: maybe Victor will introduce us and I can prevent him from staying home, where the whole block of flats crumbled from the earthquake. His wife, as I can recall, was safe. 

The applause was stronger and louder than ever, then I could hear voices in the corridor. The door opened after a few minutes and there he was, Manolache dressed up just like Hamlet, shocked to see me.

“You’re not still mad at me, are you?”

Silence. Please don’t say anything hurtful. A part of me was certain that he was just fooling around with this ‘I am hurt’ persona. “Oh, a bit upset, yes, but I don’t want to hold this against you. It’s been three years… I thought you won’t show up.”

I rolled my eyes, of course he was bitter about it. I just left him standing there like an idiot. “And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is what someone who’s been hurt is saying. I read that you are working multiple shows. I worry about you, aren’t you tired, worn out?”

“True, but my collaborations with the National theatre got me this role. You were right, a dream came true! They saw me perform a couple of times and decided to cast me as Hamlet.” He broke out of character and smiled.

I embraced him, the way I usually did. “Well done, I am so proud of you, what an achievement! You clearly deserved it.”

“Thank you! I remember the days at the Academy when I used to rehearse with Aristide. He was playing Horatio, and what a great performance did he deliver! I was so lucky to have him by my side tonight.”

“H-hey, speaking of Aristide, can I meet him? I just am so curious about him, see, I’ve seen the picture you you two and I got to thinking… if I met Mr. Anton-“

“Mr. Anton… yeah… about that…”

Oh no, oh hell to the no. It can’t be. “What?”

“He… passed away one year after you were here. Lung cancer, it spread fast…”

Shit. Not Mr. Anton! No way, that can’t be. He was so witty and smart, charismatic. Why do the good ones have to go to Heaven or wherever it is they are going in the Afterlife? My heart ached a bit, for I could never see him again and listen to his stories… That does it! I was going to meet his friend even if it’s the last thing I was doing that evening!

“Please, please, let me meet Aristide. I have to talk to him.”

“About what? Now I’m suspicious…”

“Nothing, really, I heard of something and I must tell him about it.”

Victor frowned: “Come on, tell me! Is it THAT important?”

“I wish I could, but that is a matter of, uh, national security.” I took my camera out of my cream woven bag. “Maybe he can take our photo.”

“Fine, fine, let me change from this sweaty costume and then we’ll talk to him, alright?”


	9. Chapter 9

Dressed up and ready to make the introductions, Victor rushed through the crowds. We walked arm in arm so that we couldn’t be separated by the eager fans. He stopped once in a while to talk to a few of them who wanted an autograph. It was so nice to see him being so humble and sweet with the audience. He spotted Aristide and his wife, and then made the introductions. I was starstruck, of course, remembering him from the roles in “The militiamen” series, where I laughed as a kid from their adventures. I expressed my admiration for the role, he was quite good as commissioner Bogdan, though it felt like he was carrying the whole series on his back. I suggested that Aristide should take today’s photo, I even taught him how my camera works.

“If somebody were to read our story, they would say that it’s all going according to a plan: you get here before or after a show, we take a picture, something weird happens, you go back home and I wait a few more years until we meet again.” My friend murmured, making me giggle.

“One, two, three!” We took a goofy looking photo in front of the theatre, us sitting close with our tongues out, looking silly. The camera left Mr. Zaharia mesmerised with the technology behind it. We heard a car’s horn honking, perhaps the driver was waiting for the pair to return. They excused themselves, yet I wanted a word in private with the man.

“Yes, miss Olivia?” He asked chivalrously.

“Uhm… how do I put this? Well, let’s cut to the chase: under no circumstances should you be home on the 4th of March 9 PM, do you understand me?”

Aristide laughed: “What? Sorry, are you some sort of fortune teller?”

“Please, listen to me. Your life is in danger, the building where you live isn’t safe.”

“It’s the best place money could buy, I don’t assume you mean that I should move just because something might happen. I believe it is sturdy.”

“As sturdy as it looks, trust me on this one thing. I know that I am a stranger that you have bet a few minutes ago, but… that guy right there?” I say, pointing towards ‘Scraggy’, as Mr. Anton used to call him. “Trusts me with his life. Don’t believe me? Ask him.”

He looked at his friend and shouted: “Hey, Victor! Do you trust this one with your life?”

“Of course I do, what kind of question is that? She did predict I get several important roles!”

Aristide Zaharia looked down and then nodded, heading towards the car where his wife was waiting in. Did he understand what I was trying to tell him? Will he stay away from his home or move in the meantime? Was his life saved? The questions put an unnecessary pressure on me, hoping that I kept him safe. Watching them get into the car and leave made me hug myself, fearing for their lives. I had to leave, it was getting late. 

“I think you will be okay. You will find love, by the way. And extra success.”

His eyes were huge, his mouth agape. “Really? Oh my God, who is she?”

“I’m not going to spoil the surprise, you asked me not to tell you such things. Just wanted to let you know that ‘love will come through, it’s just waiting for you’.” Yes, I did sing this tiny part from Travis’ song. Before my new found love for theatre, I was a music buff, my friends call me ‘Shazam’ when I can identify a song within the first 1-2 seconds. Add that to the list of things you just learned about me. As always, I added the ‘success’ part, just like a psychic would while reading the tarot cards. He didn’t seem to care about it anymore, for he was focused on love. I got what he went through, concentrating on work and having no proper relationship… As usual, I excused myself, made sure that nobody was around to see us part ways and said “July 2nd 1980”. He protested again, as a lot could happen in four years. I kissed both of his cheeks and told him to keep me in mind from time to time, as he is on the right track, meaning that all his hard work will pay off. Victor wanted to ask me more about his future significant other, but I waved and left for 2018. Present-day Victor was waiting for me, reading “The Glass Menagerie”, sitting on a chair. “Took you a while.” He greeted me.

“I am so sorry, but I met Aristide and then I gave you a spoiler about love.”

“Exciting, I remember that I was obsessed with this topic a few days after you left. When I found it, eventually, everything made sense, and I couldn’t wait for you to come back. Just as I couldn’t want for your return right now, because I got us lunch. Come, come, to the auditorium!” There were finger sandwiches and two cups of takeout tea waiting for us in the auditorium. Victor went, while I was away, to a nearby bakery and got something for our lunch. It was just the two of us today, as Felicia was still working on the costumes. “Don’t worry, she is well fed, I brought her something as well.” 

“How come you get to hang out here?” Surprise, he was the director between 1978 and 1988, bringing a lot of successful plays to the repertoire. He is described, in the book, as a ‘beloved collaborator’ and literary consultant, and he does not think of him as someone who should retire. So, the director lets him stay around whenever, outside rehearsals. I couldn’t lie to him, so I had to say something about the warning I had just given: “I told Aristide back then to be careful on that night with the earthquake, to stay away from his home.”

“You did what?!” He almost spit his tea.

“I wanted to save him! Why are you so appalled?”

“You saved HIS WIFE Geni, just his wife, not Aristide. He was at somebody else’s home celebrating a new script written by his friend, when that building collapsed. Geni was staying at her parents’ to look after them and the house had a great structure, however, Aristide was still a victim of the earthquake. You didn’t tell him WHERE to go exactly, you told him not to be in his own apartment.”

Shit, I felt so guilty I felt my eyes tearing up. I am a monster! Aristide was dead and I could never get him back! The nation lost a great talented man, Geni lost a wonderful husband who told her to go stay with her parents on the night of 4th of March 1977. “But that’s what I read in the first place! They said something about his flat! I assumed that he will be there, they did not say anything about his friend.”

“The building where the Zaharia’s had their apartment was indeed ruined.”

“Jesus Christ have mercy on me… how come the people that I meet in this journey die anyways? Why can’t I save them?!” Now tears were really rolling down my cheeks. Victor approached me and took a handkerchief out of his pockets and wiped them.

“Because it has been like this before you tried to do something about it, it is fate! And, in this time travel bit you can’t change what’s already happened, you just have to be there and guide us.”

“Yeah, guiding to death and misfortune.”

“Don’t you understand? This was Aristide’s fate to begin with. You didn’t change his life path towards living, nor did you send him to die. He was supposed to disappear in the earthquake. If you think about it, you DID save someone, and that is Geni, who is alive and well as we speak.” 

“But what is the earthquake was caused by a glitch?”

“The 1977 one had a cause, but the one we felt back in October 1966 didn’t, it is a mystery.” I wanted to solve this ‘mystery’ on my own, for I was sure that something went wrong. Come to think of it, Angela did find my book and opened it where I left the bookmark. Was she trying to get in? Then how come Felicia couldn’t get through the lights? Was it only valid for the people that are not blood related to him? Can Angela go back to 1976 and maybe fix things? It would have been too far fetched to ask HER of all people to go there. “I have to go to 1980. I have to do this NOW, but I don’t have the outfit…”

“You can go back home and grab it, then return whenever you feel like it. Please look after yourself, Olivia, you have taken care of me enough.”

“But first… sandwich time.”

He handed me the plate and chuckled. “Yep, sandwich time.”

“Say, how did you meet Tatiana?”

“We were working on ‘No exit’ together, that is the next time we get to see each other, by the way. She was assigned from Switzerland to collaborate with a theatre as part of her studies, Tatiana had to present a script to us, and picket that play. She spoke Romanian, her mother was half Romanian. I must say that, if it wasn’t you, we wouldn’t have been together as we were both too shy to say anything. She finished her masters’ and came to live with me and the rest is wonderful history.”

“That seemed like a big age gap between you two.”

“Age is but a number, they say.”

So all I had to do was to tell those two that they fancy each other. Easy peasy. I hope no natural disaster occurs while I am trying to make a relationship happen. After my lunch was over, I took the bus home, went through the carefully selected items and checked my messages. Thank God there was no other sign from George, otherwise I was going to go insane. I allowed myself to cry because of Aristide’s disappearance from this world, repeating “I am sorry” for minutes and minutes. Picked myself up, got my outfit and returned to the ‘Metronomul’, while listening to Jungle’s new album on my bus ride. This time, it was Felicia who helped me get dressed and apply some makeup. She could tell that I cried, I didn’t want to tell her why.

“I envy you, you get to meet my mum. She was such a lovely human being, she adored you!”

“Felicia, I wish I could take you with me but time travelling is my task right now.” 

“And I wasn’t even born yet! The next time you’ll be there, I will be around! That’s so freaky to think about! By the ways, the next time you come around here, bring the other items as well, so you won’t have to go back and forth.”

Today’s other outfit was: dark blue bell bottomed pants, while the tshirt underneath was light grey and black Chelsea boots as shoes. Perfect disguise for 1980, Felicia did a great job picking the items according to the photos. Felicia ruffled my wavy hair and said that I was good to go. Never felt more like a NASA space-shuttle, if you ask me. Opening the book where Victor’s picture in ‘No exit’ was, I made a run for it through the light and… knocked down someone. Oh hell no, my cover was blown. The blonde lady got up, helped me up as well and stared at me. “What… who… what was that light? Is the bathroom a holy place? Does it have any stage lights to congratulate you on washing your hands?”

I gasped, recognising her from the pictures. It was Tatiana, of all people, Tatiana! Even if I wanted to see her first, it wouldn’t have been possible. Her dyed blonde hair was braided, she was wearing a black cardigan, dark green trousers and platform sandals. You could tell by her accent that she wasn’t from around here. “Say, are you alright? What was it with that light?”

Knowing well enough that history has been already written, to spare her the lying I just say: “I come from 2018.”

“What?”

“I know who you is in love with you, Tatiana Nikolai.”

“What are you saying, you strange girl?! Who are you? How do you know my name?”

And, just like in a very obvious romcom, as I see Victor walking up to us, I just blurt out: “That guy! That guy is in love with you and won’t say it.”

“What?! HIM?! But he’s my project coordinator while I’m staying here!”

“Olivia! What a surprise, I wasn’t expecting you so early.” He exclaimed when he got to me.

Tatiana looked him straight in the eyes and asked: “Is it true? Is it true that you are in love with me and can’t say it?”

In the next seconds, Victor’s face turned white and he almost collapsed from the awful surprise. “What? I might as well have address it, since you beat around the bush for a while now. You know me, Victor, I am a blunt person.”

“Who are you again?” She repeats the question.

“I am just a time travelling 25 year old who accidentally got stuck in this story and the only way I can make things right is just by showing up.” I say coldly. If two people were to get together on my watch, time was ticking away.


	10. Chapter 10

I could tell that both of them were mortified because I exposed they undying admiration for each other. Gosh, those two acted like school kids in front of their teacher. She turned to me and questioned me: “Are you his wife?”

“What? No!”

“His girlfriend then?”

I took a step back. “Hell no!”

“Sister? Cousin?”

“Nothing of this sort, I don’t even know why I, of all people, got stuck in this situation!”

“An actress then?”

“Oh my God, I am so bad at lying and acting!”

The woman put her arms in the air: “What is going on here? You appeared out of nowhere and said that he loves me. This is too much for me to handle!”

“It’s because I know the truth and I am from 2018, he can confirm it as well!”

“What?” Victor was very confused and could not find anything clever to back me up.

“Okay, let me prove it to you.” I took my polaroid camera out of my bag and took a snapshot of Tatiana. The film came out instantly and I handed her the tiny picture. “Wait for a few seconds. Plus, THIS is my phone. It can predict the weather, tell me what time it is and also it helps me pay. It doesn’t work here, but, look, it has two tiny cameras!” I took my phone and did a little 360 flip of it with my hands, in order to sound convincing. 

Victor pulled me aside, while the Swiss guest shook her head in disbelief as the photo was clearing. “Olivia, I have to be up there in a few minutes. Why did you tell her that I fancy her?”

“Because you are a coward and can’t admit it. Past you told me that I am the one who gets you two together and, considering that I cannot lie, not even a bit, I decided to strike the iron while it’s hot. In this case - while she saw me appear out of nowhere. Great timing, by the way, it’s funny how things fall in the right place at the right time.”

“Olivia, this is not funny, she is our guest here…”

Tatiana turned around and asked him: “Then why don’t you say anything about liking me? Because I too like you, but I was too shy to say anything, considering the fact that you are the theatre’s director.”

“I don’t think it’s against the rules, you are both adults, you can handle it. Plus, you seem to have a lot of things in common! Just go and tell her-”

“Hush, now, Cupid.” He got closed to her and grabbed her hand, kissing it. “Tatiana, I really like you but I was afraid that you thought that I was a creep. You helped me connect with the character, you adapted the story very well! But, job aside, which you are absolutely brilliant at… you are so beautiful and soft spoken yet courageous, coming here on your own. I admire you and wish that I was in your thoughts.” The way he confessed something to someone seemed very familiar, don’t tell me that they were about to…

Kiss. Yeah, it was predictable, if I were to bet on this, I could have won a ton of money. It was very weird to see him kiss somebody else, even IF she was to become his wife. In true Olivia Săndulescu fashion, I blushed and went into his cabin, waiting patiently. I didn’t want to stay and see the play, I thought that I’d better leave them some space to get to talking and fall even more in love. Taking a piece of paper and a random pen on his desk, the note said the following: 

_“I am so sorry I had to leave so early, for me it’s been a day with two travelling sessions and I must look after myself. Present-day you is waiting for me, he was kind enough to wait for me with tea and sandwiches after the first round was over. You two will be fine, I bet you’ll bicker once in a while like two lovers do. Take care of Tatiana and cherish every moment you have together. To make matters easier for you, it will last, sadly, until 1992. Live every day to the fullest with her, for she makes you truly happy. Be there for her, respect each other. See you soon enough.  
Love,_

__

__

_Olivia”_

I head a knock on the door, they finished kissing, I presume. “Sorry about that, my dear, it happened…”

“Don’t worry about me, worry about your play that is about to start.”

“Oh, no, we still got two minutes left! Come, let’s make a run for it. Are you joining us, Olivia?”

“Uh, you go ahead and I’ll sit backstage and observe your masterpiece.”

Tatiana went up to be and hugged me, kissing both my cheeks. “Thank you, you are now my dearest friend.” She whispered in my ear. When they left for work purposes, I went back to my timeline. I wasn’t jealous, I did feel a bit bitter, knowing that my friend will be focused on his new life rather than sit around and wait for me. Hope you can feel the sarcasm. He had all rights to get on with his life and not remain hooked to a promise. Part of me knew he was extremely fond of me and that he was hoping that I would stay forever. I knew him better than others that see him on a daily basis, because he opened his heart to me every time I visited, even if it was for a couple of hours. Surely enough, Tatiana was as sweet as she’s been described by her husband and daughter, she could only inspire me to be more like her. Upon my return, Victor was still reading “The Glass Menagerie” peacefully. He lifted his gaze and greeted me: “You left us.”

“I like how you say ‘us’, but a few minutes ago you were dying inside. I had to leave, three’s a crowd and I’m not into ‘that sort of thing’. What was I supposed to do anyways?”

“It’s too bad, you missed a great show.” The actor closed his book, annoyed. “I looked for you, you know. Every single corner of the building, you were nowhere to be found, then I found the note and felt really bad. I wanted to punch my future self so badly for pushing you into this, but it was for my own benefit after all.”

“But, hey, at least you got a wife. It’s something to celebrate, don’t you think?”

He didn’t look at me for a few seconds. “I believe so, but, still, I thought that I’d lost you forever.” 

“Do you think I can handle one more round? I want to attend your wedding.”

Victor sighed. “Who am I to stop you, it’s almost 5 PM, there’s plenty of time. The issue here is your resistance level.”

“I am good to go, I was annoyed a bit with you but I guess that’s the adrenaline speaking.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat dinner earlier for extra strength?” Why did he talk to me like I was some sort of Avenger going to kick Thanos’ butt?

Re-assuring him that I was fine, I searched for his daughter to ask for the light blue long sleeved dress and some cute heeled shoes while we were at it. Felicia was wrong, the next time I was going to be there, it would have been their wedding! The couple got married exactly one year after I got them together, and the picture I saw in the book was from that day. Sitting patiently on a chair, having my makeup done, I kept reading excerpts. The next shows are: “A Lost Letter” (O scrisoare pierdută), “Public Opinion” (Opinia publică), “Waiting for Godot”, “The visit”, “Titanic Waltz”, “The name of the rose”, and, finally, “Exit the King” (Regele moare). 7 more. How was I going to split my visits and not look suspicious being absent all day? I think 4 days were enough, today was Tuesday, I could be done by Sunday. Sunday was for rest and relaxation after all. Horia joined us, bringing some iced coffee with slightly melted iced cubes due to the heat wave. He joked, saying that I have become a star, getting my hair and makeup done, reading through the book as if it was a script. Ready to go, Manolache’s daughter got very emotional and kept rambling about how cool it is that I get to attend the wedding. I checked my camera, I only had 3 pictures left, I wanted to write a reminder on my phone to ‘restock’. Horia assured me that he will take care of that, while running errands he will stop by F64 and pick up some polaroids. The reminder went from my phone to his, one more thing off the list. Victor showed up as well, script in one hand. He told me where the reception was being held, somewhere on Dianei Street, a house that has one part covered with ivy. 

I got to 1981 safe and sound, putting on my coat to head outside. It was the first time I was out of the ‘Metronomul’ on my own, so exciting. I was facing the snow outside in broad daylight, it was very cold. Thank God for my Chelsea boots and pantyhose, otherwise I would have been frozen within seconds. Making my way through crowds around University square, I looked at the National Theatre and smiled. “He entertained people here”. The Intercontinental shone as bright as I knew it would. I continued my journey, until I got to Dianei Street. Now, where in the hell is that reception? I passed by a house where pop music was coming from, this must be the place. Oh, it even has the ivy on it. Some guests were outside smoking, I could recognise actors such as Traian Popescu, Geo Vandici, Raluca Dumitrache, and even Aristide’s wife, Geni. I felt sick for a few seconds, but when she saw me, I wanted the snow to cover me and turn me into ice. She walked up to me and, to my surprise, she embraced me, and started crying. “Thank you for saving my life.”

I hugged her tightly as we both let the tears run. She was safe, she was here with all of us, she was still alive in 2018. “I am so sorry about Aristide… I tried-“

“I know you tried, dear. It was fate, we can’t mend it. One question: am I alive in your timeline?”

I couldn’t believe it, she knew! “How did you-“

“Aristide told me before we parted ways, I knew you were right after the tragedy struck. I even asked Victor about it and he didn’t deny it. Heard that even you can’t explain how you got here!”

“Trust me, Geni, I am wondering this every single day.” It was a relief, knowing that someone else is familiar with my situation. I saved her life, huh? Wow, I must add this to my short list of achievements. Another friend in this crazy story. “Say, where are the newlyweds?”

“As you enter the house, you go straight trough the corridor and turn right.”

Shit, I forgot to bring them a gift. Fine, let’s just say that my presence is a present. Badum-tss, goes the drum, joke of the century. I should have asked older Victor for his book, making the younger one believe that I spent some time picking out something for them. That’s what happens when you’re in a rush, you always forget something. The music and noise got louder with every step I was taking. I knew it was rude of me to disappear like that, Victor was still bitter about it decades after it happened. How often does one go to the wedding of the last man they kissed? Here I go again, stop it with this stupid thought. Anxiety creeped in, it’s alright, Săndulescu, you can get out of here if you want, you’re not trapped. I was not sure if I was trembling because of fear or the cold weather. Here he was, dressed smartly, next to his beautiful wife, who was wearing an ivory lace dress, smiling without a care in the world. The crowd was cheering and dancing, clinking glasses of wine and champagne. For a second I thought of leaving, but it was too late, he spotted me in the doorway. I got back in the hallway and waited for him to come out of the room.

“Hi.” I said, still shaking. Please, don’t be angry… He looked mad. Silence, well, from both of us. The music was still blasting and the guests were dancing.

“I searched for you everywhere!”

“I know…”

“Your note sounded so sad to me. Needless to say, I felt awkward and guilty for a while, but I knew you would come back one day. After everything we’ve been through, though for a few hours, you are my dearest friend and confidante.”

“But you don’t have to wait for me anymore! You have someone by your side now, aren’t you happy?”

“I was happy even before I got together with… my wife. It’s so weird to think that I am married now. I had a good life before, thanks to you, you really helped me out.”

I grinned like an idiot thinking that I am a matchmaker now. They will soon have Felicia and I cannot wait to be part of her life as well. It was a very weird situation that I was in, but it’s like I became part of someone’s family along the way. “Look, let’ go an have fun. I can only stay a few hours, otherwise I’ll probably get locked in the theatre at home.”

“Deal!”

We danced and danced on classic Romanian pop tunes, we ate some delicious wedding cake. I got to talking with Raluca Dumitrache about her role in the movie ‘Words left unsaid’, that I saw with my parents when I was about 15, then I looked at the time and, what do you know… 2 hours have passed. Panicking, I pulled Victor aside and told him that I should return to the ‘Metronomul’. He had a brilliant idea: stealing the bride and taking her there. I took Geo Vandici with me, Geni joined us along with some other actors that I didn’t get to talk to and we’ve made a run for it, while Manolache pretended not to pay attention. It was a cool feeling, running through the snow, being careful not to trip and fall. We got to the theatre, Tatiana and Geni walking with me to the ‘women’s bathroom’ aka my portal.

“Are you sure you can’t stay a bit longer?” Geni wondered.

“Sadly, I can’t. I will call it a day, I did time travel thrice after all, plus everybody is waiting for me.”

Tatiana smiled kindly and bowed. “Thank you so much for being so brave and for not giving up on him. He is a gentle soul, he deserves the best.”

“Promise that you’ll look after him while I’m gone.”

“I promise, don’t you worry about a thing.”

Horia was the one waiting for me in 2018. He asked me to excuse Victor and Felicia, as they were busy prepping for tonight’s show. Also, they were curious if I wanted to stay and see it again, this time from the backstage. No, I said, I was very worn out anyways. I went to a cabin, changed clothes, opened my phone to see some random messages and none from George. I was done for the day. Horia offered to take me home, which I happily obliged to since I would have called an Uber anyways. I connected the phone to the car’s bluetooth and played the rest of Jungle’s album on my way back home, ending my long productive day.


	11. Chapter 11

Had the worst sleep ever due to a nightmare. In my dream, the theatre looked abandoned, there was a blizzard outside the building, snow was bursting through the destroyed doors and windows. My book was ripped into multiple pieces and I couldn’t go back. I yelled after my new found friends, my older friends, my family. Though it was just my imagination, I could feel the panic attack building itself up while I was sobbing uncontrollably, shivering. I woke up sweaty and trying to gasp for air. What if I would end up like that? I was careless, so it seems, if my consciousness is ringing the alarm in such a weird way. It was 6:41 AM and I was too scared to go back to my slumber. Nothing major happened over night, as being told by my lack of notifications. Made myself some instant coffee by boiling some water and adding two teaspoons of extremely died ‘Amigo’ soluble and ate two plain rice cakes. I was so busy going back and forth at the ‘Metronomul’ that I neglected my food shopping routine. Usually, on Saturdays and Wednesdays I restocked on my essentials. Hey, since it was Wednesday, might as well go to the store at 7 AM and grab a few things. So I changed my pyjamas, put on a massive T-shirt, some gym pants and sneakers, ready to ‘run’ the errands. I should stop it with the puns, sorry. 

Carrefour Market has a very cool playlist, I recognised a few songs instantly, like I normally do and found myself humming through the aisles. I was so concentrated on shopping that my anxiety slowly went away. Thank goodness I made myself get out of bed and go out to the store, otherwise I would have spiralled, which is not a good thing to do. This was a thing that I was doing before meeting Victor and the others, a routine that I almost completely skipped. I should pay more attention to me as well, like he said. Why do I tend to put the others before myself? At home, I’ve made myself some friend eggs with toast, now that’s more like it for the breakfast of champions, plus a glass of orange juice while I’m at it. My strength was building up and I could feel the caffeine kicking, instant coffee is working wonders. Today I was going to both 1987 and 1992, the latter the year Tatiana passes, right before Christmas. It’s even more heartbreaking to think of it this way, I shook my head in disbelief. Even if she has seen me only four times, Victor told me that Tatiana was fond of me, yet I didn’t understand why.

My first outfit was ready: a white shirt with a dark blue sweater on top plus dark blue pinstriped pants. Obviously, I left the sweater in the bag because of the heat outside and put on some white sneakers that I have hardly worn, but I knew that they were comfortable. The second outfit was not part of my wardrobe, Felicia had it ready for me the previous day. Today’s playlist was Glass Animals’ ‘Zaba’ album, ‘Pools’ being one of my favourite tunes. The album went well with the surroundings, even though there were 30 degrees Celsius outside, it rained a bit while I was on the bus. It seemed like a good day, I like it when it rains and I am in a safe space, even if it is public transportation. So far I’ve handled my anxiety, got a strong coffee, ran errands and made breakfast, adulting at its finest. I got off the bus at University square, the rain stopped and I was thankful for that, I didn’t bring an umbrella, but that’s summer rain for you. Horia greeted me at the entrance, the Manolache family was on their way. He asked me if I want some coffee but I assured him that I had my strong share of caffeine really early in the morning. We did some small talk about his tasks for the day: he had a meeting with the theatre’s director and Victor regarding the future shows, the audience seemed to like ‘Exit the king’ and they had to supplement a few more nights. That was great news, for the actor was still going strong on stage. After that, he would keep an eye around ‘the portal’ to see if I show up and need anything, then he’ll switch with one of the Manolaches, and head to one of the partnering shops to get some materials that Felicia needs for the costumes. 

“Though I am a stage manager, I have to take care of multiple things. It never gets boring this way. Things might change last minute, I am a creature of habit and I need to keep my tasks in order. It kind of drives Felicia insane, you should see her work station!” He poked fun at his girlfriend.

“What about my workstation, honey?” She arrived with her father just in time.

“N-nothing, we all have our own organisation systems!”

“Yeah, yeah, mister Order and Discipline.” She kissed him and told me that she will be working on other costumes today but I can find her in her tiny ‘office’ so that I can change after I return from 1987. “Oh, before you go…” She searched her bag and offered me a wrapped present. “Here, give me this. It’s a gift I have gotten from you for my 5th birthday and my parents helped me take care of it so that I can give it back. His name is Filip, I don’t know why we named him this way, but it sounds cute.”

Victor saw me off, excusing himself for the time he will also be away due to the meeting he had with Horia. He did, however, give me a Boney M record that I have put in my tote bag along with Felia’s gift. As always, he encouraged me and this time he stroked my hair. That made my anxiety levels go low, safe gesture. August 4th 1987, here I come. I opened the book at a picture of Victor in “A lost letter”, he was very well disguised as his character. Being the busy bee that he was, his role was that of Agamemnon Dandanache, for he had only a few lines to learn. I read in the book at the series of shows were so successful that they were compared to Sică Alexandrescu’s instalments, which is great from the research I’ve done on him. He worked so hard along the years to get to where he is in the present day, I really hope that he looked after his family as well. From what I’ve heard from Felicia, she was raised around the ‘Metronomul’ and National Theatre, as her parents were collaborating with the other cultural institution as well. That’s where her love for costumes comes from. I looked around the building, but there was no sign of them. I could hear someone talking from the auditorium, perhaps rehearsals were currently happening. There were people outside, specifically a mother and her child, which led me to believe that it was actually Tatiana and her daughter. I was right. I tied my sweater around my waist and approached them carefully.

“Hello, and who is this you’re with?”

Tatiana shrieked pleasantly surprised and threw her arms around my neck. She seemed so happy to see me that she forgot about her child for a few seconds. “Olivia! I am so happy to see you, we were not sure when to expect you, for you didn’t say a word! This is my pride and joy, little Felicia. Say ‘hello’, sweetie, come on, don’t be shy.” 

The little girl waved blushed and hid behind her mother, whispering ‘hello’. I searched my bag and got the present out, along with my camera. “Can you take a photo of us two? It’s the next picture we need to add to your collection. Felicia, darling, I brought you something from the future!”

Hearing that I got her a gift, she left her Tatiana’s side and got closer to me. “You are a fairy, aren’t you?”

“Hmm… I’d say a fairy godmother. When you grew up, you asked me to take Filip back to you.” I took the little brown haired girl into my arms, being careful not to drop her (there are a lot of irresponsible humans out there and I refuse to be one of them). As she struggled to open the package, her mother took our picture. I helped her rip the coloured paper, revealing a patched toy elephant. The mother and daughter squeed in delight seeing the adorable stuffed animal, it did not matter that he was a very old item passed down from one version to the other. “How is he, by the way?”

“Very busy, busier than ever. It’s not easy to reproduce Caragiale’s work, not after Sică Alexandrescu’s work.”

“I think this round might as well be. I read the critiques, they were quite good.”

“Really? Oh, that is wonderful news! But we needn’t tell him, otherwise it will go to his head and he won’t deliver the same performance” 

“Maman! Fleur!” Little Felicia exclaimed. 

“Coming right up, darling. Ah, I don’t think we’re allowed to pick them, I am so sorry.”

The girl teared up and started crying instantly. I picked up a pink hydrangea and offered it to her. “Rules are meant to be broken, plus, they cannot catch me. Isn’t Victor in charge around here? He once picked up a hydrangea for me and he did not get into trouble.”

We decided to head up to the main stage to observe the rehearsals. We sat quietly in our chairs while Felicia was playing with Filip the elephant. Myself and Tatiana whispered to each other things about what had happened to them in the past four years. In a nutshell, after they got married, they had Felicia and started taking care of her, he went on certain tours and they came along. The little one can speak a bit of French and Romanian and I found that to be very cool. The actors have taken a break to go and grab lunch. 

“Would you like to come up on stage and surprise him? He usually eats alone in the office, surrounded by paperwork, but I can go and grab him something to eat.”

“Would I? It would be my pleasure.” I chuckled. 

“Are you hungry? Can I bring you something?”

“No, no, don’t worry, I had a strong breakfast this morning.”

“Strong!” Shouted Felicia.

I creeped up behind him and scared him, he jumped exactly like a cat whose life out of nine vanished. Today was all about the good kind of surprises. “W-w-w-where did you come from?!”

“The usual place, THE BATHROOM, ha-ha-ha.”

“Very funny, scaring someone like that. Oh my God, it’s been a while.”

“Yeah, it has…”

Tatiana offered to take our usual photograph. For this one, we posted just like James Bond, two partners in crime. We laughed it out and then she excused herself, taking her daughter along with her to buy Victor some lunch. We went into his office, A room filled with various pictures of his performances alongside others, I recognised Aristide in ‘The Barber of Seville’ and Mr. Anton in ‘The Miser’, important roles of their careers at the ‘Metronomul’. Piles and piles of paper were cluttering his desk, a rack of costumes was on the right side of the room while a massive bookcase covered the left wall. He was an avid reader, after all. A linden tree could be seen outside the window, and you could feel the scent of it as well. It always soothes me, makes me feel like home, though it used to make me think of the time me and George had our falling out, since it was around September. Enough about him, I was admiring Manolache’s office, with my eyes probably glistening, impressed.

“Woah, well deserved, congratulations!”

“Thank you, my dear. Once again, I couldn’t have done it without you!”

“Aw, shucks, can I have my own reading corner right by the window then?”

“If you promise that you will visit me more often, by all means, you’re getting that reading corner. I see that your knowledge of theatre has increased, congratulations.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” I imitate his voice.

He filled me in on what has happened since we last saw each other, which was not new information, considering that I just talked to Tatiana. Victor seemed very happy with his life as a father, trying as much as he can to be in the little girl’s life. He was bummed to miss her first walk and that her first word was ‘mama’, but, other than that, he was a very proud parent. He even carried a photo of his family in his wallet and showed it to everyone he met. Even I got to see the cute photograph. I was very happy for him, his face was glowing talking about them. Unfortunately, the joy didn’t last too long, as he asked the dreaded question: “So, it will start soon, will it? Tatiana’s illness.”

I stared at him, astonished. How did he know that it was an illness? Maybe it was just a wild guess, but why lie to him when he’d already figured it out. “1992… It is crazy to think that the next time I’ll be here will be the last time I see her. I just-.” Taking a deep breath to stop my voice from shaking. “I don’t want to think about it. It’s difficult enough for you to handle. I hate knowing that someone will pass away, especially now when I know that it will be the worst Christmas without her for you.”

“I remember you told me about your father being ill and passing away unexpectedly, even though the doctor gave a clear prognosis of his recovery. I expect it to happen to my wife as well, after all, the medical system isn’t as advanced as it is in 2018.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, it isn’t even in my days, which is infuriating for this country.” Clearing my voice, I continued this way so that I can get his mind of the future tragedy: “In other news, a revolution will strike in 2 years time, meaning that things will change. People will have access to travel whenever, wherever they want, the queues will soon disappear but will make a comeback on several occasions. The medical area will develop slowly as for other areas… Well, let’s say things are developing, just not that fast as we hoped they will.”

“Now that’s reassuring. Some might say that it would have been better this way.”

I laughed, because it was true, I didn’t want to disappoint him. I got the Boney M record out of my tote bag. “From you, for you.” 

“I have heard of them from Sir Webb, he played one of their songs to me when I visited England!” So he could leave the country, eh? Lucky duck, my father could only leave while supervised on a ship, but maybe it was better this way, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been here. Oh, God, I hope that I don’t sound like those people with ‘it was better back in the old days’. He played the record and when ‘Ma Baker’ came up, I got up my chair, took his hand and asked to improvise. We mirrored each other’s dance moves, turned around, jumped. It was very fun for me to dance with him, even if it was silly some at some point. Tatiana entered the room and laughed at us, Felicia was mesmerised by our improvised dance moves, that we had to replay the song and try again. I memorised some dance moves that I will have to use in the future whenever we play ‘Ma Baker again’. Tatiana was so happy, she laughed at and with us, she cuddled her daughter and kissed her husband on the cheek gently. Life was unfair, it hurt knowing that I was going to lose a friend. 

Aware of the fact that I had to return, I was accompanied by the Manolache family to my ‘portal’. They asked when I will be around the next time and I said that it’s going to be the 2nd of December 1992. The look on Victor’s face broke my heart, I was leaving him to deal with this on his own. I had no choice, the book had no portrait for him between the one as Agamemnon Dandanache and Chitlaru from ‘Public Opinion’. Felicia begged me not to go, but I had to. I promised that when I’ll return, we’ll dance again to that cool song.

“Want to see me do a magic trick?” I ran through the opened door and disappeared into my timeline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR6eKmqSEa0 😘


	12. Chapter 12

It was almost 1 PM and I didn’t feel like going to the ‘next round’, since Tatiana would have been extremely weakened and the father and daughter extremely heartbroken. I sat in on a sofa, stirring a spoon in my veggie soup, looking at Victor, who was enjoying his chicken soup without a care in the world. How badly that might have hurt him… My appetite was long gone. Felicia was still sketching away, leaving her stew to cool on the desk. “You’re not eating, what’s up?”

“You know what’s up. I’m talking about Tatiana.”

Felicia stopped looking at the paper and bit her lip, awaiting her father’s answer.

He put his spoon aside and gave me a serious look. “Yes… it was almost time for her to go and rest, finally a well deserved rest. God knows how hard she fought, she was so brave.” Silence, pure silence. Nobody knew what else to say after that, so it took us a while to go back to our lunch and not sit and stare at the floor. “I want you to excuse us for not being as cheerful as you know us.” he added. 

“I can only imagine how hard it was for you guys. I am so sorry for bringing this up right now.”

“Don’t, Olivia, don’t feel bad about it, it’s alright. It’s been years and years since her passing and we are sure that she is in a better place where she is not in pain anymore. God knows why he takes the good ones so early.” Felicia added.

“I know it still stings, it actually hurts like hell knowing that you couldn’t have done something to save them.”

My relationship with God was questionable ever since I lost my father. If he, mostly a good man who was ready to help strangers around him, got sick and died, I got mad at God for taking him away from me. I did, however, believe in strong bonds and relationships, a person is never really gone and they live through your memories and stories about them. Hardly anyone has asked me about my father, but, every time they do, I like to tell them about the lovely time we spent together. For example, when we went fishing as a family, or sailing, when he taught me how to swim, when we danced around the house and helped mum set the table. Those are just a few things that are cemented in my mind forever. Yet, I could not understand why I, of all people, could go to different timelines and then return to mine. Was it really witchcraft? If so, then all that Tarot practicing to see if everything was going to be fine really paid off! I should have you over for a reading, I have been told that I am good at predicting stuff. This thing however, baffles me, because I can ‘predict’ with a book that’s already been written. It has no author, meaning that it could be anyone who can time travel. What if there were people who went to a certain year and never got back?! Yet, there had been no disappearances for the past month, none that I heard of online.

Sighing, I decided to eat the soup and get ready. It was like ripping off a band-aid, wasn’t it? Once I finally let it all out, like, crying, everything would be better, right? I don’t think it worked like that, but it was worth the try. What’s done is done, after all, nobody could bring Tatiana back with us, as much as I wanted to return to various years to spend some time chatting with her. I only got one chance to see her before she goes to Heaven or wherever spirits go if you are being skeptical of God’s work. Soup - done, time to get dressed. My ‘costume’ was a light green coat and pants, with a cream blouse. The pants were a bit shorter than expected, leaving my ankles uncovered. My shoes - cream leather ones. I wish I could have kept them, for they were so comfortable to walk in. Surprisingly, my tote bag went well with the outfit, as it was cream as well. It’s good that I didn’t seem suspicious to the people around Victor. At least, I hope that the secret services didn’t question him about who I was, or that none of his artistic friends decided to run a background check by me. The book didn’t say anything about a conviction or investigation, perhaps some had been already done along the time he was the director of the ‘Metronomul’. After I was done changing outfits, I got out of the small room and saw Victor waiting on the corridor for me. Time to be extremely blunt.

“Just out of curiosity, were you ever involved with the secret services?”

He looked extremely surprised, then chuckled. “Oh, I had my fair share of showdowns with them, alright. As an actor, I was followed a couple of times, but I have read my file and there was nothing suspicious. You know me, I like to keep quiet, go to bed early and express my ideas in a way that does not offend my conversation partner. I choose my words wisely. Other than that, I did have a few visits from the secret services at several shows, but the lads were nice enough not to disturb rehearsals and the show itself. None of my actors were harmed by them.”

“Yeah… but.. did anyone notice me going around the theatre?”

“No, I don’t remember seeing something like that.” That was a relief! I couldn’t bear the thought of Victor having to suffer because of me being there, trying to help him. I heard a lot of nasty stories about individuals who had to face torture, confiscation of their belongings, even going to prison for their beliefs. No amount of money and compensation could fix what the communist regime has done to those innocent people.

Looking down at my shoes, I wrapped my hands around my waist.“I’m ready to face the music. Is there anything you would like me to say to Tatiana?”

He shook his head. “No… she already knows that I love her, and telling her that I miss her would only break her heart. If she asks about us, tell her we are working together and healthy.” One last look of reassurance that everything will be fine, although it wasn’t going to be due to the death of a friend after I will leave 1992. Not even the the thought that I would have already been born before that visit could make me lighted up. Ready to go, I am ready. I made a run for it again, in my usual manner, through the light and the book opened at his ‘Public Opinion’ performance. 

Surprisingly, there was nobody in the hallway. I could hear voices coming from the entrance, meaning that she show hasn’t even started yet. I went up to the director’s office, but it was locked. Weird… he should have been there! Maybe he’s up there somewhere getting ready, so I decided to wait around the stage door. Actors passed me by, but there was no sign of him, until…

“So you’re back, Olivia!”

I looked up and there he was, Victor Manolache, changed for the show. “Yeah, I went up to your office but it was locked, so I figured that I might wait for you here.”

“Oh, that’s not my office anymore!”

Sorry, come again? “Wait, you’re not in charge here anymore?”

We went up to the backstage to talk. “I resigned in 1988, to spend some more time with Tatiana. She started to feel ill a few months after we saw you, then I knew I had to do something about it. Geo Vandici is the director now, you met him at my wedding, great guy. After my resignation, we went on various road trips, we saw our little Felicia go to kindergarten and now she is in school. Myself and Tatiana got to say everything we wanted to say to each other, fearing that we might not get to express something on time. There are some things that have been left unsaid, though… We got to go to Italy after the Revolution, we had gelato and her favourite dessert - Tiramisu. We went camping with our daughter, we went to the seaside. When things looked like they were getting better, they didn’t, just like it happened to your father. I still had some hope, you know?”

“I, uh, I know… so… where is she?”

“Up there.” He pointed to some seats in front of the stage. I couldn’t recognise her figure. “She would love to see you. You can spend the remaining time watching the show with her, she would enjoy having a good friend next to her.” I gulped, scared of rejection on her behalf. My father had several moments when he didn’t want people around him, and I totally understand that. As I approached her, my heart was beating faster and faster. 

“Hello, Tatiana.” She was really pale and frail, I was afraid that my embrace would hurt her. She put her hands slowly on my back then said: “Thank you for coming back”. I started crying, because I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I was not going to see her anymore, and I was cursing the book for skipping so many years where I could have gotten to know her better. 

“This… is… unfair.”

She looked up to me, smiling. “I have lived a lovely life so far. I got to travel, fall I love, get a wonderful family thanks to you. If I wouldn’t have met you, I would have probably married someone wrong for me or ended up alone. This way, I am surrounded by my loved ones.” Saying this, she put her hand on my shoulder, affectionately. We talked about what I missed while I was gone, about Victor’s retirement, the Revolution, the road-trips they went to, Felicia’s life in school. She was a proud wife and mother, happy to live to the last second. Victor walked on stage, dressed up as Chitlaru, announcing us that they will soon let the public in. He told me to get on stage quick, so I took my camera out of the tote bag, gave it to Tatiana, ran and jumped on Victor’s back, posing like two silly people. Hearing her laugh really made me grin, so I joined her to our seats as her husband went to the back and the audience got in the auditorium. The whole performance I held Tatiana’s hand in support, as she was looking at her husband play in ‘Public Opinion”. 

The public reacted really well, might as well say that it was a hit! The applauses went on and on for a couple of minutes. Victor was bowing continuously. After the show ended, I helped Tatiana up and we walked slowly to the bathroom door where I could go back to 2018. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her, the thought of never seeing her again was breaking my heart. Manolache joined us shortly after, still dressed as his character, there to help his wife keep her balance.

“You take good care of them, alright? I can’t go if you don’t promise me that.”

“Promise.” Tatiana let go of her husband’s arm and we hugged one last time. I could feel the waterworks ready to kick in, I kept my eyes closed as much as I can so that I wouldn’t wail with her in my arms. 

“I will be fine. Dead, but in a good place for sure, sending you some extra help along the way.” 

We parted ways with my tears escaping my eyes. I turned around after having one last look at them, taking my camera out and snapping a photo of them as a couple. I put the picture in my tote bag, turned around and off I went, back home. Victor was patiently pacing around the place, when he saw me he asked how did it go. I couldn’t answer, because I was already shaking and crying. I handed him the picture I have taken before I left and rushed past him. He shouted after me, he even chased after me, but I got out of the building in the smothering summer rain. I got to the bus station, lucky me, here is my bus, of all the vehicles coming, it was the one that took me home. Soaking wet from the rain, I realised that I left my normal clothes back at the ‘Metronomul’, but nobody seemed to care about my attire. The only passengers were me, an older lady, a couple and a teenager with a skateboard who was also wet from the rain. When the bus reached my station, I ran through the raindrops, careful not to slip in my borrowed shoes, I hope they weren’t ruined from the puddles. Got to my flat, searched for my keys, unlocked the door, closed it behind me and the panic attack was ready to start. I hyperventilated, bawling, hugging myself, trying to tell myself it was going to be fine. I collapsed on my bed and cried my feelings away for a few minutes when I heard a knock on the door. Well, I bet it’s one of the neighbours trying to tell me to keep it down. Sorry, m’am, I’m having a moment here… but it’s better not to argue with those old ladies.

I got up, and opened the door, not looking through the door eye. Victor Manolache was standing in front of me, holding a wet umbrella in one hand and a plastic bag in the other. “My dear girl…”

“H-h-how… d-d-did you… g-g-get up… here?”

“Felicia and Horia drove me down here. Since you took the bus, it gave me plenty of time to get your clothes, hop in the car and get to your place.” He handed me the plastic bag containing my previous outfit. “May I come in?”


	13. Chapter 13

I invited him in, taking his umbrella and putting it in the bathroom, in the tub, for it to dry. He looked around my studio apartment. It wasn’t much, but at least if helped me gather money for future property, I am considering buying a 2-room apartment, to free myself from paying rent. I offered to make him a cup of tea, but he said it wasn’t necessary, but it was so nice of me, though. The others were waiting for him downstairs, in the car. 

“Took the liberty to come over and talk to you, since you ran away.” Victor sat at the table and I joined him shortly after. He looked me in the eye and gave me a serious talk. “I understand how hard it must be for you, I really do… Tatiana meant the world to me and my daughter, and also to you. I can imagine how devastating it must be for you to have to see her one last time like that. Nobody is pressuring you to go forth with this, not after the panic attack you just had…”

I couldn’t understand where the conversation was heading. Did he want us to cancel everything? “So I’m not good to go anymore? Is that what you want to tell me?”

“No, I-“

I could feel my anxiety going away, only to be replaced by anger. I was ready, it’s just that I had to pick myself up after losing Tatiana with them. “Listen here, Mr. Manolache, I got dragged into this story without my will. Was it exciting? Yes. Was it terrifying? At first it was, yes. But why should I give up now, after promising Tatiana that I will look after you?”

“Because it is not doing any good to you, it stresses you, it consumes you.”

“Yeah, but that is MY decision to make. So far I have noticed that I am able to stop panicking and that I can control my anxiety attacks while facing the time change. Isn’t that a good thing? And I can speak up and be in control of an unforeseeable situation! You have seen the evolution along the years.”

“I am afraid that you are overworking yourself instead of enjoying your vacation.”

“I will be fine, don’t worry. It’s not like I had something better to do, really.”

“Fine, I just wanted to express my concern for your wellbeing. This last journey was too much for you to handle, you needn’t go twice in a day if you can’t take it. As I haven’t been experimenting what you are currently going through, I can only offer all my unconditional love and support, no matter what.” He gave me a cuddle and then returned to Felicia and Horia downstairs, it was getting very late and he didn’t want to take some good hours of sleep from us. I gave him back his umbrella that was still a bit damp. 

I packed parts of my outfits: Another grey t-shirt, a white shirt, a mustard long skirt and a dark blue blazer, leaving a light blue shirt, and a white long skirt to be picked up at the theatre. Felicia texted me to see if I’m alright and told me that it was fine to just air dry the outfit, we can put it to the dry cleaners tomorrow. As for shoes: my choice were my white sneakers and some black shoes that would go great with some black stockings. I finally changed my clothes and got some effervescent Paracetamol so that I wouldn’t catch a cold, changed and let my previous outfit to air dry, as per Felicia’s orders. Fell asleep almost instantly, so I didn’t have time to fear another round of nightmares. I don’t actually remember what I dreamt of, mostly likely something about my time at the theatre. What I can say is that I woke up feeling rejuvenated. Breakfast was just a chocolate croissant, a banana and a cup of tea, I didn’t feel like ‘dining like a queen’ a.k.a. cook anything. I lay down on my bed for a while, trying to pull myself together, telling myself that I wasn’t stressed. Putting my hand on my chest, I started breathing in and out like I was taught via that Headspace app for a few minutes to clear my head. I wasn’t actually believing in meditation, I wasn’t closing my eyes, but just the breathing technique was enough for me to calm down a bit.

All dressed up and ready to go, with the clothes in a separate bag. I was on my way to the ‘Metronomul” when my phone started ringing, the number seemed familiar but I didn’t want to pick up. When I got to the entrance, someone was waiting for me in the hallway. He was working on his laptop and when he saw me, he closed it immediately, put it back in his bag and went up to me. “Olivia!”

“What do you want, George?”

“You didn’t answer my message, I was worried.”

Worried about what? This was absurd, me choosing not to reply only to face him again. I wish there was a ‘block’ button in real life. “I was very busy, you can’t expect me to be at your service 24/7. I thought that I’d relax these days, not fight with someone like you.”

“What is that supposed to mean? Olivia, come on, I poured my heart and soul in that message. I had to take a ‘work from home’ day today to get to talk to you.”

‘Heart and soul’, as if he had any. Hold on… “How did you know that I was here?”

“There was a lady here yesterday, who told me she knew you and that you’re here on a daily basis. Do you have a project here or something?”

“What lady?”

“Dark haired, thin… I think her name started with an ‘A’.”

‘A’ for ‘asshole’ maybe, she’s doing it on purpose to keep me away from Manolache. Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I confront him: “George, if my silence was not clear, if what Mr. Manolache said to you wasn’t direct enough, we are not good for each other. I am not ready to handle what we both have caused, and that goes to you as well. Two people can find their way back, but we are not those two people.”

He fell silent for a few seconds then started apologising to me. One thing got through one ear and then got out through the other. He just didn’t want to lose people from his network, especially now since he’d seen me get friendly with an actor. “Aren’t we supposed to figure things out?”

“We had enough time to do that, but, for me, that time has passed and I am tired of working alone. You’re a good guy, but not good for me, I’m sorry.”

At that moment, Angela arrived and looked me up and down. “Sorry, I seem to have interrupted something.”

“No, it’s fine, Angela, he was just leaving.”

“Was I? Well, in this case, I guess I am.” George took his backpack and left furiously, passing by without even looking at me. Well, that was awkward. I have nothing to apologise for, he left on his own terms. I guess I have to thank Angela now for making me make him go away.

“Lovers’ quarrel?” She asks.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed. What did she want anyways? To be fest friends and confidantes? I think not, thanks. “None of that sort.”

“He definitely wanted you to hear then out, I think you should have let him speak.”

“No offence, but who let you in change of saying what I should be doing?”

“Just trying to help out.”

“As if you know what you are talking about.”

“You’d be surprised.”

I wanted to leave and do the task of the day, then she literally followed me where I was going, which was super weird. I clutched my tote bag and headed to the bathroom. Please, Universe, don’t accidentally beam me up if I walk through that door. I stopped near the ‘unopened’ portal, turned around and said: “Can I help you?”

“No, just going to the restroom, which I assume is what you were doing as well.”

I started blushing, maybe I should cut her some slack. Maybe she is a bit nice and wants to get to know me, since I hang out, mysteriously, with her coordinator all day long. “Are you here for Victor?”

“You’re on a first name basis now, I see. Anyway, he is on his way, for we have a meeting about my script. It is almost done and it will have the first representation in one month if I am lucky.”

Humble brag? “Gee, that sounds exciting. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. What I wanted to say is that Mr. Manolache will be busy for the next two hours.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I am here for Felicia and Horia as well. I’m sure they can keep a good company as that of Victor.”

Angela’s phone started ringing, she answered it and it was clear that on the other line was the actor. She left without saying a word to me, telling him that she is on her way. I took advantage of the moment she went away to change into my new outfit and leave. Felicia arrived shortly after I was done changing and she helped me with some makeup. “Please, don’t get angry with dad if he seems a bit bitter. I myself, as a kid, tried to bring his spirits up, sometimes it did not work. You brought him hope that life was getting better, that I was safe, that at least I was safe.” She said, putting a random strand of hair behind my ear.

Felicia saw me off, smiling kindly. She is so sweet, so well behaved, a younger Tatiana. How I miss her mother, even though I last saw her the previous day. 18th of January 1997, that would make me… about 4 years old in this timeline! I was preparing for kindergarten, most likely. How crazy would it be for me to meet myself now that I have already been born? What if a crazy explosion happens, or I get super sick or I lose all my memories upon seeing myself? Gosh, focus, Olivia, you’re here for something else, not conspiracy theories. Strong lightning, then total silence. “Hello?” I yelled. The place looked abandoned, and I hoped that it wasn’t one of those years when a theatre is undergoing some renovations. There was a premiere happening that day, after all. “Victor? Victor Manolache?” I gave up and sat in front of the bathroom door, waiting patiently. I started reading excerpts from the book to help pass the time. How ironic, since the name of the play was…

“‘Waiting for Godot’… more like, ‘Waiting for Olivia’ for years on end.”I turned around and there he was, Victor Manolache with new glasses, this time he had a pair of horn rimmed ones that made him look extremely serious. I wanted to greet him the usual way, but he literally put his palm in front of me. What the hell was going on? He was still bitter that I couldn’t return to his grieving days. I couldn’t, okay? I couldn’t go back, nor could I go to other dates besides what was already stated in the book!

I took a step back, carefully. “I am here, aren’t I? Isn’t that a good thing?”

He didn’t look at me. That made my heart skip a beat and my arm’s hairs go up. “I have waited for years and years for you to show up and say a few things to brighten my days. I was hoping that you could spend a few days with us, it could have helped your anxiety a bit as well. Felicia is lost without a mother figure, we tried to create a lot of memories with Tatiana but they weren’t enough for her to form the idea of what a mother should be like.”

“But I am not qualified to play the role of a mother figure, I hardly know what I am doing with my own life! I once poured the coffee water in the filter area instead of the designated slot. That’s how messy I am with my thoughts.”

“Yes, that might sound messy, but you can concentrate so well when you are with us. You are confident, you know that you have the advantage of being familiar with what we call ‘the future’. You are way more advanced technologically speaking than us. You know what will happen to us all.”

“Well… not to everybody, just you mostly, thanks to the book.”

“That book… that cursed book. If only it could have told you how to make me not lose my mind over losing important people in my life… yourself included. Now I fear that I will lose my daughter, she grows up and forgets about her ageing father.”

This was scary as hell, what was I supposed to do? He clearly didn’t want me around, that’s for sure. I felt like crying, it was unfair, all this work, all this effort, for what? For him to shun me. I understand that he lost his wife 4 years ago, and that the wound was still fresh. Still. The only thing that I could do was to go back, so I opened the book where I was right now, got ready to leave, when, suddenly… He caught me by my arm and whispered in my ear: “Gotcha.”That bastard! One day he will pay for shortening my life by scaring me like that, but there was no time for that, better leave it for 2018 onwards.


	14. Chapter 14

Trying to make him let go of my arm, I yell at him: “How dare you?! Don’t you know how fragile my mental health is?” 

“Tatiana asked me to pull this last prank.” He said, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

“No, she did not! She’d know better than to trigger my anxiety.”

We sat down and got to talking, he had some time to spare since the show was going to start in 3 hours, reassuring me that he had something to eat before we met. It was definitely difficult without Tatiana, he was missing her everyday. He tries to go as often as possible to the cemetery, mostly on the weekends. Felicia started high school at ‘Mihai Viteazu’ in September and she liked it a lot. School has been a distraction for her in this whole tragedy, she managed to make some good friends, her grades are good so far. She has taken a liking to costumes ever since she was a child, so now she attends sewing classes twice a week. She’s ready now to be part of this world, but she must not neglect school!”

“Spoken like a true father. Can I give you a spoiler, then?”

“Sure! Even though I clearly stated when we met that I didn’t want to spoil any surprises.”

“Okay, but this one is a good one. She is going to be great at what she’s doing. In my timeline, Felicia is the lead costume designed at the ‘Metronomul’, which is a great achievement for someone her age!”

“Well, I’ll be! Wow! I’ll keep this a secret then and never tell her that I know that!” He added, with a grin on his face. 

He told me of Geo Vandici, he survived a heart attack and Raluca Dumitrache got her driving’s licence and left for Germany for good. She packed all her stuff in the car and never returned to Romania, but she calls him and the others regularly to tell them about her life in the German theatre. Geni was well, that I know for a fact since I know how she was in my days. The theatre itself had gone into a few improvements, the quality of the fabric and materials being used for example are way better than the ones used in the past. The building also had a fresh coat of paint around each room, and the stage has undergone some changes as well. I told him about my showdown with George before I left, I definitely wasn’t in the mood for arguing with him. Victor said it served him right, to act like he did and then have the nerve to stalk me at the theatre. I didn’t say anything about Angela, for the sake of maybe not seeing her in the future journeys. We have taken our usual photo, selfie-style this time because nobody else was around to help us, but it turned out pretty cool.

“Dad! Dad!” I spoke too soon. A feminine voice could be heard down the hallway. A girl stopped in the middle of it. There she was, a teenager Felicia Manolache. Her brown hair was cut in a bob and covered with a blue bobble hat, she was wearing a blue shirt covered by an oversized dark blue sweater, a pair of jeans and some winter boots, all wrapped in a black winter coat. Her face was red from the low temperatures outside. She didn’t even say ‘hello’, she literally ran to me and started touching my arms to see if I’m really there. “It’s you! In person! Olivia!”

“Yes, yes, Felicia, it’s me. How are you doing?”

“She remembers my name!” she shouted, looking at her father for a confirmation of some sort.

“Of course she remembers your name, it’s only been a day for her since she last saw me!”

“Gee, thanks, Victor, much appreciated.”

“Look, I’ll leave you two alone to talk. My daughter is entitled now to the famous ‘Olivia pep-talks’. I had my fair share of it right now, I guess it’s time for me to return to rehearsals. You can see her off, honey.” He approached me and he kissed my cheeks as a farewell. I wished him the traditional ‘break a leg’, knowing damn well that he won’t have a problem with this play. We both decided to hang out backstage. Felicia took off her winter coat and put it, with the hat and backpack up the stairs where we were sitting.

“How’s high school? I must say that for me the experienced sucked big time, but it doesn’t have to be this was for you. Oh, you can hate it, if you want!”

She started laughing. “Well… it’s surprisingly good! Nobody asked me if I am Victor Manolache’s daughter. Either they know or they don’t care. At my previous school, they kept teasing me for it and if we had some acting classes, they HAD to comment, obviously. But these friends that I have… I’ve got a feeling that they’ll stick around for a while.”

Judging by what Felicia has told in my past about her life, they might still be sticking around in 2018. “Natasha, Liviu, Georgi and Ema?”

“How do you know their names?!” She was extremely shocked.

I shrug. “I AM from the future, you yourself told me about them and they have memorable names.”

“Yeah, that’s right… So how are you? What has happened since you last visited us?”

On my behalf - silence. “Oh, well, I know for sure what happened with you guys but for me, only one night has passed and the wound is still fresh.” Felicia embraced me, resting her head on my shoulder. I was still taller than her, not to burst her bubble or anything. I really felt like crying, but I held my breath for a few seconds not to let the tears run down my cheeks. “I just -, I don’t know what to say. Should I have done more for her? Maybe. But I didn’t know how, I swear!”

“It’s fine, it really is fine! Don’t worry, she has a few last lovely years with us after all!”

“No it’s not fine, maybe I could have brought you some more time.”

“But you DID buy us time! If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have gone places, we wouldn’t have been to Italy to eat all those delicious deserts or around the whole country! Oh, enough about that, or we’ll get even more sad and she wouldn’t want that!” She started going around me. “I wanted to say that I admire your outfit!” 

I posed for a few seconds. “You like? It’s basically chosen by you.”

“No way! Am I by any chance a costume designer? That’s what I really want to be, not some accountant or lawyer or something else…” Thinking about the promise that I have made her father, I am saved by Victor’s voice coming from the stage. We get closer so that we can see what he is doing. “He’s amazing, isn’t he? He is such a great dad as well. I just don’t know what I could have done if he wasn’t as involved as he is. Sometimes, I wonder how he does it all.”

“He loves you and adores being alive, I guess that’s the answer.”

“And adores being on stage. I want to learn his tips and tricks regarding the performance arts. Not that I see myself being an actress, but I want to understand how I can help him through a costumier’s point of view.”

She was really wise, younger Felicia, and she knew what she wanted to do with her life. When I was her age, I have just lost a parent, so… let’s say we were in a similar situation. But I was lost, I started skipping some classes by asking my mother to say that I am ill. It was hard for me, at the beginning of school, to make any friends and they started spreading rumours about me, saying that I was a weirdo or doing drugs. That hurt for a while, making me not want to speak to anyone, but I have found Teo, Bobby and Alex through the Japanese fan-club and I knew that instant that I was capable of caring for other humans as friends. After that, the words that my classmates were throwing at me didn’t sting that much, for I have taken my sweet time into forming meaningful friendships with 3 lovely human beings and nothing else that was nasty mattered to me. My grades were getting better and my attendance as well, not to mention the relationship with my darling mother.

“If I were you, I’d hold on to the memories with Tatiana and try and create new ones with Victor. Speaking from experience, ‘cause that’s what I did with my mother, even though it took me some time to grieve. I’m still missing my father every day, but I think that he would be very sad if I was moping around. He enjoyed life to the fullest, and he would have wanted us to enjoy it as well.” I put my arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. “You’ll be fine, just don’t let him overwork himself.”

“Thank you so much for the advice. It would be weird to say that you’re like a mum, considering that I am actually older than you.”

“I think ‘fairy godmother’ is a better term! You called me a ‘fairy’ once and I coined the term.”

We continued observing the rehearsals, when I suddenly realised that maybe I should go back. I caught a glimpse of Victor, who waved at me, I waved back and indicated that I have to go back. Victor nodded, smiled and mouthed “see you later”. I decided to take a picture of young Felicia to show the present-day version. She posed like a ballerina, and asked if we could take a photo together as well. I gave her the second picture as a memento, but kept the first one for my return. “Want to see a magic trick?” 

“I have heard that before, I thought it was a dream.”

“No, no, it’s inexplicable, but it gets me back to 2018. We’ll see each other on…” I ruffled through the pages. “23rd of February 2004, ‘The Visit’ will be the play that Victor will be working on. It’s going to take a while until you can see me again, I have no idea why that is, but that’s what the book says and how I deciphered it. Okay, promise me two things, and don’t laugh if I do sound like a mother.”

“Sure thing, what is it?”

I start explaining, in a serious voice. “Please, don’t neglect school. I really mean it. It might seem like something super tedious, but you need good grades to fulfil your dreams. Sometimes I think about the ‘coulda-shoulda-woulda’s, what it I had better grades, could I have gotten into a different college? That’s just an example.”

She shrugged. “Fair enough. What about the second thing?”

“I am referring to what I said a few minutes ago, don’t let him overwork himself. Be there for your dad, he’ll be there for you no matter what. You only got each other, make the most out of it.”

“Thank you, Olivia. Thank you for the kind words. I am sure that mum would have been happy to see you return and take care of us like this.”

We parted ways and I saw her wave at me. I am thinking of her younger version as someone so wise beyond her years and so calm, she will be fine through the years. I had a few classmates who had to fight certain inner demons in their teenage years, some didn’t succeed and are still trying to figure out what to do with their lives, some stopped caring. But for her, I don’t think it would be the case. To my surprise, 2018 Felicia was sewing something by hand, sitting on a chair in front of the bathroom door. I wonder if people are asking themselves what the chair is doing placed over there. 

“If you ask me, the meeting was a success. I stayed in school, stayed out of trouble, worked for my passion. Here I am, having a chat with you.”

“How did you find my advice, by the way?”

“A tad bit ancient, but I do understand where that came from, because I myself would have said the same thing. I was so happy to see you after all that has happened. I was, and still am very fond of you, ‘fairy-godmother’.”

I did a twirl and said, proudly: “I am ready for the next round.”

“Already? Don’t you want to rest or grab something to eat before you head to 2004?”

She was right, in my euphoria, I failed to remember that it was lunch time and I was about to ‘run out of fuel’. I changed into my other outfit and then we went to a cafe nearby to eat some sandwiches and drink a cup of coffee each. “George was here earlier today. Apparently, it was Angela who told him that I’m hanging out around these places.”

“Do you think she’s onto something? She seems like is always plotting revenge.”

“Maybe she’s just misunderstood, that’s all.”

“She was a bit odd back in our university days, I kind of suspected that she resented me for being Victor’s daughter and Horia’s girlfriend. As IF I don’t have a title that I worked my butt off for years and years. She is never nice to me, I guess that the only person she treats well is my father.”

“Let’s give her the benefit of the doubt, although, she was a bit smug when she saw me argue with George.” 

“See? Something is up with her and we will get to the bottom of it! But now… we have to keep her away from you. She’s not to be trusted.” It felt a bit like we were plotting against a villain, more like a childish thing to be done. We finished our lunch and coffee and returned to the ‘Metronomul’. Victor has already finished his meeting with Angela and was about to head out for lunch when he decided to talk to me. “Fine, I’ll see to my costumes then. Horia should be back anytime soon, he’s going to lots of places” Felicia shook her head and left us alone.


	15. Chapter 15

Victor walked with me towards the women’s restroom, also known as ‘the portal’. “How are you holding on, my dear?”

“Fine, although I did not appreciate the prank you pulled when I got there! How’s Angela’s work coming along?”

“Well, if I can say that. I still don’t know why it seems so familiar.”

“What is it about?” Now, she’s made me very curious about it. 

“A couple, he is older and she is younger, arguing about having a child and the affairs they are trying to have to make each other jealous. Something tells me it is inspired by one of Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon’s plays, yet I am not so sure of this. I might be mistaken. You know, with age, you start mixing things up.” Ah, a comedy. I was honestly anticipating a tragedy of some sort, or a super cheesy drama. My super twisted mind was picturing Victor as the older husband, maybe she’d written that with him on her mind, since she seemed to dislike everyone that was around him. I don’t think she was enamoured with him, maybe she was him as a father figure she did not have. Still, giving her the benefit of the doubt, even though she sent me into the lion’s den (or rather, where George was). “Are you sure that you’re not too tired to go?”

“Super sure of that, thanks. Why? Is there something that goes wrong that I should know about?”

“No, not at all. But, considering our talk back from your flat, I want to check on you from time to time, to see your energy level. It’s good that you had lunch.”

“I am fine, really. YOU should go and grab lunch, you still have a show to prepare for.”

“Yes, but I’ve done it a couple of times already, while you have not been to 2004 yet. It won’t be anything exhausting, I promise. Those dark circles, though, make me wonder…”

Attacked by his remark, I leaned in and whispered to his ear: “I will be okay. Go get that food.” and patted his shoulder. I’ve had those dark circles since I was a kid, buddy. I did not hear a word he wanted to tell me, because I took the book out, flickered through it and went in through the light. February 23rd 2004, it was almost spring. I could feel the smell of fresh flowers outside, as there were a few windows opened. The Hydrangeas would bloom later in the summer, if I am not mistaken, so it’s just hyacinths and daffodils for now. The bathroom was a sparkly clean as ever, thank God I didn’t teleport from outside otherwise I’d ruin the cleanliness with my shoes. I decided to check every room for Victor or Felicia, or both, cautiously, for I wasn’t in the right mood to make up an excuse as to why I am wandering around. No sign of Victor anywhere, maybe he was still at the rehearsals. There was one dressing room that was opened and inside there was a girl who was sewing a button on a shirt’s sleeve. She looked very familiar… actually, she looked like… hold on… “Felicia?!”

The girl accidentally pinched herself with the needle, startled. “Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! Please forgive me, Felicia, I was just surprised to see you!”

“And imagine my surprise when I heard your voice!” She put her thumb in her mouth to stop the bleeding. I searched my tote bag and offered her my only band aid, I knew it had to serve its purpose sooner or later! “Wait ‘till my father sees you, he was looking obsessively at the calendar since February started!”

“Was he doing that with any purpose in his mind?” I haven’t heard of Victor waiting like this to see me, not even when he tried to make me responsible for the long waiting time in the past.

“Maybe it was the thought of seeing you again. I joined in the fun last week, I mean, I KNEW you were going to show up today, just not the exact hour. So I kept myself busy with these costumes.”

According to her, nothing much has changed in Victor’s life, other than the roles he was portraying. Today he was going to star in “The Visit” alongside Maria Lazaroiu, one of the National Theatre’s finest actresses. He was dedicated to his work and family - his daughter, rather. As for Felicia, she got in U.N.A.T.C. (The National University of Theatre and Film), she is in her last year of uni, pursuing her dream as a costumier. She has been lending a hand here and there at the ‘Metronomul’. “To be honest, this place has always been my dream workplace, not that I would turn down the National Theatre or anything. We got to start somewhere!”

“I am very happy to have her on my team, so to speak, I know what she is capable of. I’m not saying this because she is my daughter, but because she is a great seamstress!” Victor said, resting against the door frame, playing with a bowler hat. 

“Seamstress! Dad, really now!”

“Well, isn’t it true that you sew all day? Doesn’t costume making involve sewing?”

“Well, then, dress me up in rags and send me to work with Cinderella. Hmph!” She crossed her arms and puffed. 

He leaned in, took my right hand and kissed it. “It was a joke, darling. How are you, Olivia?”

“Fine, I got a chance to catch up with Felicia before I left for 2004, we had lunch at a nice cafe and then you saw me off.”

“It’s so lovely to hear that we are alive and well.” She replied. “Are the rehearsals ready, dad?”

“Yes, in half an hour we will be up on the stage again. I honestly prefer hanging out with Olivia a thousand times than this premiere, but duty calls. Shall we?” He said, pointing outside of the room. Before doing so, I took my camera out and took two pictures: one with Victor and the other one with Felicia and the blouse she was proudly displaying as something she has made from scratch. It occurred to me all of a sudden, as we were heading to go to the back of the stage. I haven’t been out of this place in forever while I was visiting. What could have been the matter? Was it because I never asked to get some fresh air? Or was it just in my head and I was making up some random scenarios? 

Clearing my throat, I asked: “Hey, how come I don’t go out of here anyone and we always seem to hang out backstage?”

The two of the exchanged worried looks. The man was the one to explain: “I am afraid that, if someone sees you… say, Geo or anyone else who has seen you ages ago look the same, it would be suspicious. After all, you are not ageing.”

“But… shouldn’t some people know? I mean, Geo is your friend, isn’t he, just like Geni?”

“Geni’s situation is different. Aristide told her about your ‘prediction’ and it turned out to be true. Geo and the others saw you at my wedding a while back, and your appearance has no changed a bit, since it’s only been a couple of days for you. But for us, it’s been years.” I looked at him and he did look older, a bit troubled by the constant test of time. His horn rimmed glasses that were resting on his pointy did not hide the dark circles under his eyes that were usually covered by makeup. His shiny short hair was getting white, leaving some traces of what was once completely dark brown. 

I stared at my mustard skirt thinking of how much their lives have changed since I first saw them. Manolache was just starting his acting career as Mitica Popescu, Felicia was a little girl who spoke some French as well as some Romanian. Now they are both on the right track, stayed out of trouble with the secret services and, well, out of trouble in general. What about me? I think that my anxiety has gotten better, my relationship with George isn’t great, but we definitely made some things clear. I understand the world of performance arts better now, I met important figures of Romanian theatre, I saved someone’s life. I guess it wasn’t bad for almost a week of time-travelling shenanigans! It seems like I have grown as a person along them as well, which was cool to think about. “Come to think of it, I never thanked you for being there for me, and putting up with my absences.”

“Really now, the book needed some extra chapters here and there. It’s not your fault it was constructed like that.” But what if IT WAS? Oh, God, I would have been to blame for so many things that I didn’t want to think about right now, it was not a good time.

I sat on some stairs while the others followed suit. Various actors passed by us, letting Victor know that he should go and change. He excused himself, he promised he will see me go in the future, but it was just a coincidence that even now he had to ask Felicia to bid farewell to me. He has once again asked me if I wanted to see the whole show, but I excused myself saying that he has been waiting long enough for me to come back to my present days. “The next time I will be back is October 3rd 2011. Yes, yes, I already anticipate your protests, but there is nothing we can do about it.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“I have tried, Victor Manolache, to go back and to use other pictures and it did NOT work.”

Both Felicia and Victor memorised the date, but I assured them that they will know for certain when I am back because I always make myself appear when they least expect it, or when they are at their busiest. He quickly ran into his dressing room to change, while Felicia was roaming around the other actors for any last minute touch-ups. I was fine to leave on my own anyways, since everybody had something to do. That made me really happy, that they did not give up on their professional lives along the way and are still professionals in their fields. I carefully left the backstage. As soon as the gong stoke 3 times and the actors were ready to start the play, I was ready to go, so I opened the book and ran through the light, you know, my usual ritual.

“How was it?” My ‘welcome committee’ was just older Manolache, who was still reading his book, ‘The Glass Menagerie’ on the chair in front of the bathroom.

“It’s not creepy at all, a man sitting on a chair, waiting in front of the women’s bathroom.” Upon hearing this, he quickly closed his book and stood “It was okay, relaxing actually. We didn’t get to talk too much because everyone was busy, but I did have a catch-up with Felicia, who started working in the last year of university at the ‘Metronomul’.”

“Ah, I miss those days. She was still an apprentice of the great madame Chirilă, what a great set and costume designer she was, but she passed away two years ago. Felicia was trained well enough by her predecessor, the votes were unanimous and she got the job as a lead costumier, while Florin Atodiresei got to be names the lead set designer around here. They make a great team in spite of the age difference, you would think that they argue quite a lot, but it was time for the ‘Metronomul’ to divide madame Chirilă’s position into two, to create more opportunities for the aspiring designers out there of any kind.”

I yawned and quickly excused myself for it. Victor agreed that it was time for me to call it a day, he offered me a cup of tea and we sat in a dressing room to chat about random parts of my life. I knew a lot about his life, but he didn’t know about mine too much. I’m a private person by nature, so I decided it was time to chat about my family and education. Rain started pouring outside. Horia wasn’t around to take me home like he would offer to do and I was too tired to take the bus with a borrowed umbrella, so I called an Uber. Victor opened the door of the car for me, leaning in and patting my head, the kind of gesture a parent would make. I was silent through the whole car ride, listening to classical music from the car’s speakers. Thank goodness it was a cultured driver. I felt bad at the end of the trip because I didn’t make the smallest chat, but I was super tired and the rain did not make it any better. I was ready to go to bed and dream of nice things, ‘cozy-land’ was waiting for me. 

I was very proud of Felicia for her achievement, for getting her dream job, and of Victor for getting to be the one of Romania’s exceptional actors, for loving and being a great father to Felicia. Come to think of it, I tried checking my privilege. I had a good job, a supportive family, best friends, a roof above my head even though it wasn’t mine… my basic needs were covered. It felt good to re-assure myself that things were going good in my life and that the fallout that I have had with George wasn’t a failure that should haunt me for the rest of my life.


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, my breakfast was that of scrambled eggs and an apple, I was grateful for having done the shopping a few days prior. It started to look like a routine: me, waking up and having breakfast, taking the bus to the theatre, opening the book and time travelling, getting there and chatting for a bit, get back, have lunch, do all those things that I mentioned again, return, go home, go to bed. Repeat. The only things that were a bit out of the ordinary were George’s visits. I wonder if the next visits would be more dynamic, one most certainly was going to be since we had to prepare for ‘Exit the king’ in advance. 

Outfits of the day, straight from my closet: for the premiere: my golden dress that I have hardly worn, a black cardigan, of course some black heels (let’s see how I could walk in them), a black handbag. For 2014 I also had everything I needed: a striped blouse, a blue skits, black Converse. So you can say that I have this thing sorted out, except for the walking in heels. I was wondering how these outfits got to be put together like this, I mean, Felicia WAS in my flat to look through my closet, but it was unclear how it was settled like this. Maybe my sense of style has also improved. I couldn’t get out of the house and take the bus dressed as for going to a premiere, so I put on a grey t-shirt with an illustration of a sun and the moon, a black skirt and my Converse. That should allow a lot of mobility. Today’s album was that of The Last Shadow Puppets - ‘Everything you’ve come to expect’. It’s been a while since I’ve heard from them, 2 years to be exact, I often wonder what they are up to. Alex Turner released with the Arctic Monkeys ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’, it was quite a good album. Still, I miss the other band. 

Here’s my station, I have to get out of the bus. Walking, I tried to enjoy my new ‘commute’ as much as I could, since I only had a few more trips to make and then it will be over. I stopped at Missy’s for a cappuccino, got some ‘fuel’ for Victor, Felicia and Horia as well. I started memorising their orders as if I was an experienced assistant. The only one who was having tea, usually, was Manolache, but the other two were comfortable with flat whites. You should have seen the surprise on their faces, it was sweet.

“You shouldn’t have! Thank you!”

Horia raised his cup. “Cheers! Coincidentally, I did not drink my coffee this morning, and I didn’t know what was missing in my life today.”

“Don’t worry about it. You guys are looking after me, it was time to do something for you as well. If it’s alright with you, I’ll go and change.” I took my bags with me and searched for a dressing room. To my horror, Angela was also around the area, carrying a binder. 

“Good morning. Are you moving in?” she said sarcastically, pointing at my bags.

I suddenly made something up so that I could get her off my back. “No, just some props that Felicia asked me to bring from a different location.”

“They should hire you full time in this case.” She continued her walk down the corridor and I stared at her until she was gone for good. I entered one of the dressing rooms and changed outfits. I heard a knock on the door and it was Victor, holding his cup of tea in one hand. 

“Now I know how you felt searching for me, knocking on every door. Thank you for the tea.”

“Don’t mention it. I actually started to enjoy this tiny routine, going to the theatre early in the morning, checking out different timelines in one day. I am afraid that I will get too comfortable and I will cry my eyes out once it will be over.”

“But what if she ask for a transfer here? You could handle our brand, or better yet we can approach the company and have you work here.”

“That’s sweet, but I doubt they’ll accept.”

“You never know until you’ve tried.” He chuckled, sipping from the paper cup. “Ready to stay throughout a whole show?”

“Yeah, the last time I did that was with Tatiana, so I thought I’d dress up for the occasion.” I twirled so that he could check out my pretty dress.

“Beautiful, indeed. Are you ready to have a good time?”

I nodded. “Always ready for a good time. You’d better deliver a great performance, otherwise I would turn into a nasty critic.”

He walked me to my time warp and I checked my bags’ items. I got the book, the camera, I was good to go. October 3rd 2011 meant it was time for ‘Titanic Waltz’. I heard about this play, there was a middle-school classmate who talked a lot about it, but, after all, she read a lot. I am surprised she didn’t have a ‘Titanic Waltz’ birthday party, I’ve been to every single one of her anniversaries. Come to think of it, I should give her a call, since it’s been a while…Anyways, I am ready to laugh my butt off, if what she said was true. I opened the book exactly where Victor was dressed as Spirache Necșulescu and off I went. Through the warm bright light I got to 2011 in one piece. The usual ruckus, I wanted to avoid it by going to the dressing rooms to search for my actor friend. First try: some other actresses were in the room, I excused myself, they suggested I try the second room. There he was, doing his own touch ups, looking rather serious in the mirror. When he saw my reflection, he turned around and hugged me carefully. I took my camera out and we pretended that he was applying makeup on my face. I swear, we take the best staged photos together. His wrinkles were a bit deeper than the last time I saw him, he was ageing gracefully though. 

“You should go and join Felicia, the play will start in 15 minutes.”

We parted ways and I went to the main entrance. I found Felicia talking to her colleagues and I waited patiently until she noticed me. “How long have you been here?”

“Not long, I went to see Victor before he goes on stage and he told me to go and find you.”

“He did good! Hey, look who’s also here!” She pointed at an elderly woman talking to someone else who was none other than Geni! I was so excited to see her that I jumped out of excitement and kind of scared her conversation partner away. She leaned in and we kissed cheeks as a greeting. 

“It’s so lovely to see you, my darling. You don’t look a day older, even if you are!”

“Likewise.” I wink. “How are you these days, Geni?”

I rolled her eyes. “It’s ghastly. Pension problems here and there, the energy bill skyrocketed in the past year. I shouldn’t bore you with this…”

“Oh, no, don’t worry. By the way, if you ever need anything, from 2018 onwards I can help in person. I know it is a bit further than expected…”

“I am and will be okay, darling. You needn’t worry about me and the others, worry about yourself. Because, at the end of the day, we are alone with our thoughts and we have to deal with them the best we can.”

There was an announcement that invited us to take our seats. Myself, Felicia and Geni found them easily, we were lucky that we had good ones, probably chosen by the actor himself. Right in front of me sat a couple that I did not recognise at first. Suddenly, my anxiety kicked in, as I realised who the two were. Laughing and smiling at each other, George and his ex girlfriend, Sorina. No, in this universe, she was still his girlfriend, freshly ‘in a relationship’. I couldn’t make what they were chatting about, not that it was any of my business. He placed his cardigan on his seat, not even looking at me, who was having a meltdown behind him. Seeing George with another girl, even if it was or it wasn’t Clara, was very weird. Sure, there were still some feelings that could not be erased, but I kept telling myself that it WAS the past. There they were, arm in arm, my rejected former love interest with the love of his life. This was Sorina we are talking about. Maths prodigy and naturally pretty girl, she and George were dating for almost 4 years, until she moved to England to do her PhD in… you guess it - maths. I know I shouldn’t be comparing myself to her, but I couldn’t help it. They were right in front of me. She was really pretty, I don’t think she was wearing any makeup because I could see the freckles on her cheeks. Long, shiny brown hair, kind of reminded me of Clara’s. Maybe he does have a type and he wanted to be rebellious for once and he dated me, the total opposite of these two. 

I remember hearing stories about Sorina from a friend of her’s that worked with me, George was so in love with her that he even proposed to her, so that she wouldn’t move away. That was too selfish of him, now that I think about it. She declined and went to England anyway, they broke up and she started a relationship soon after with some Romanian dude from the university she was working for. George was devastated, he lost some weight, attempted to go to the gym, got lost in the world of computers and God knows what else happened until he met me. I couldn’t stop staring at her, feeling inferior. My achievements and qualities vanished, I was like a blank piece of paper in front of a student who did not know what to write on it. Felicia put her hand on mine, to check if I’m alright. I bopped my head, indicating that she must check the people in front of me out. “Oooh.” She whispered. “Is that…”. I nodded. 

His cardigan fell on the floor. Mortified, I picked it up immediately, not to seem suspicious. I patted him on the shoulder, saying: “Excuse me, I believe this is yours?”

He smiled and nodded. “Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks!” George then turned to his then-girlfriend and put his arm around her shoulders. I could hear her saying with a sweet sounding voice: “When will it start? I’m getting a bit impatient.” Like, calm down, sis, it will start soon. That broke the spell I was on, she was a bit rude in my books. When the lights were dimmed and the curtain rose, George and Sorina did not matter to me. I was so happy to see ‘Titanic Waltz’, especially with Victor Manolache, along his daughter and Geni Zaharia. The whole show was phenomenal, with Victor as Spirache Necșulescu, the whole cast made me laugh until I literally cried. 

When the show was over, the two lovebirds in front of me got up and left immediately, leaving me feel a bit torn apart between feeling anxious and joyful from the show. I shook my head as if to set aside the bad thoughts and concentrated on being next to Geni and Felicia. 

“Come on, Olivia, chin up! He wasn’t even that cute.”

“What’s the matter?” Geni asked.

“That couple that sat in front of us? Olivia’s ex with his soon-to-be ex girlfriend.”

“At least she is an ex-girlfriend. Isn’t that something that makes you feel better? And, since he is your ex boyfriend, it’s just like Felicia said. He wasn’t that cute.”

I laughed and followed them outside the auditorium. We talked about Geni’s life as a retired citizen and Felicia’s costume malfunctions. When most of the audience was gone, it was safe for me to return. To be honest, I did enjoy this round of time-travelling, in spite of having a shock when seeing George and his ex in love. Somehow, if you would exclude the part of his being my ex of some sort, it was heartbreaking to see how smitten they were, thinking that it would end up in failed attempt of an engagement. Such is life, shrug. I sound super mean right now because I am still bitter but we are currently not on speaking terms. Gosh, why can’t I just catch a break from him. Universe, sort this thing out as soon as possible. 

I bid farewell to my lady friends, promising them that I will return on the 16th of November 2014 for ‘The Name of the Rose’. I was super happy to have seen Geni doing well, I missed her to be honest with you. Bright lights took me safely back home. “I am ready for the next round.” I nearly jumped on Victor as I returned. 

He, on the other hand, sat me down on a chair. “Easy there, enthusiasm princess. We got to talk about the next round first.”

“O…kay? What must I know?” 

“First of all, let’s breathe a bit. Second of all, we will get to talk about the book.”

“What about it?”

The man sighed and talked like a full grown, responsible adult would. “Let’s go eat first, I don’t want you to faint. Not on my watch.” And so, we went out to the bistro across the road to get some lunch. Felicia was still working on some costumes, with Horia by her side. He brought her something so eat, so we needn’t bring them something.


	17. Chapter 17

My meal today was a chicken burger with some veggie chips while Victor hd some rice and chicken. “Check us out. Chicken squad!” I chuckled. “I wonder if some paparazzo will take out picture fine dining like this.”

Victor looked up his round glasses. “I don’t think they would be interested in reporting what an old man like me is doing.”

“Imagine: ‘Critically acclaimed octogenarian actor Victor Manolache has lunch with a mysterious brunette.’ . How about this?”

He smiled. “I really don’t want you to get such exposure from the media. They can twist your words in interviews, I had my own fair share of bad experience.”

“Oh, do tell.” I saw, munching on a slice of dried carrot.

“Some your journalist asked me about my days as a theatre director and we agreed upon the questions asked beforehand. When the article got out, I was portrayed like a communist sympathiser. I was mortified, I certainly tried my best to fight the regime through art, but smart enough so that my team wouldn’t have to suffer. Oh, the backlash I have gotten afterwards, some still refuse to talk to me. I kind of given up on interviews.” Oh, that bitch. Should I ever cross paths with her she’s going to suffer my wrath. “I know you are plotting revenge, but it isn’t necessary. She’s long gone in the US.”

“Land of the fake news.” I exclaim.

He cleared his voice while I was enjoying my burger, eating it with (shock and horror) a knife and fork. I was trying to be as lady-like as possible. “So, back to the book discussion. We will get to talk about how it should look like and the pictures that we should include in it.”

“Should we add something extra to it?”

He staring cutting the chicken breast in his plate.“I don’t think it would be advice to play with the timeline like this, as much as I would want more memories with you. Plus, it would be exhausting for you to have to go back so many times.” 

“Seems legit. I mean, I kind of get it now when you tell me never to skip meals, especially not now. I used to skip lunch when I was working with George.”

Manolache put his fork and knife down. “Why?”

“I thought that the gym and diets were not working for me and skipping meals, acting like I was always busy, would be the key of success. Turns out it made me even more stressed and anxious. Just to try and be like someone I am not.”

“But you are perfect just the way you are. Really! We have known each other for 60 years and I still think you look great.”

I raised my eyebrows. “In my case, it’s days but, whatever… I accept your compliment.” He made a ‘carry on’ gesture with his cutlery and we continued eating our lunch. Once we were done and paid the bill, I changed my premiere outfit with my stripy blouse and long blue skirt plus Converse. Not going to lie, my feet were kind of killing me, so thank God we figured out the whole ensemble like this. I searched for ‘The Name of the Rose’ in the novel, found it and walked in through the light. The 16th of November, in 2014, was a bit chilly since I could feel the scent of the old heaters. Luckily, I wasn’t feeling cold yet. Now, how to find my people? I spent a few minutes going round the hallway, in the hopes that I will bump into the Manolaches. On the other hand, I saw a tall, familiar ‘bespectacled’ face, who was running around, probably trying to do his job, taking a break once in a while.

“Horia!” I shouted after him.

He turned around, looking surprised. “Y-yes?”

“We haven’t met yet, but I’m Olivia, I’m here to see Victor.”

Horia raised an eyebrow. “Victor Manolache?”

“Yeah… I am…” I just realised that he had no clue who I was so I made something up. “I’m his niece, and Felicia’s cousin. I come from the seaside.”

He analysed me head to toe for a few moments and then it clicked. “Ah, yes, Felicia told me she was expecting someone today, but didn’t say who she was seeing exactly. Just a moment, I will check with her. Until then, take a seat in the main entrance. I’ll be right back.” I did so, waiting patiently for their return. A part of me was scared that he was just kidding and that I’ll be kicked out. I was wondering if my phone was working. I tried turning it on, but it was a lost cause. Maybe the time-travelling part made it non-functional. My wait did not last long, as I heard footsteps louder and louder.

“Cousin, really? That was the first available option in everybody’s book.” Felicia greeted me. “She’s a time traveller by accident, dearest Horia. She’s even met mum. We got pictures to prove it.”

His jaw dropped, as he couldn’t believe his ears. “Excuse me?”

“It’s as simple as that, we can’t even explain precisely how she gets from one point to the other, but she’s here and she got back in one piece.” He definitely needed a tutorial of some sort, as he was a hundred per cent lost. We searched for a room where nobody could disturb us and we found it quickly. It had a round table with six chairs around it and two sofas. Horia sat up while we were seated on the sofa. 

“Just a moment, let me ring dad.” Felicia said nonchalantly, dialling his number. “She’s heeeeereeee. Come, come.” Then, she hung up. “Hold up, he’s joining us in a minute.”

Victor showed up in his robes, without his makeup done. Needless to say, that made me chuckle. “What’s so funny, Olivia?”

“The whole attire. No makeup.”

“Ah, yes, well, I postponed the makeup session for another hour to look fresh and also spend some time with you.”

“I feel honoured.” I bowed saying that. “Horia here is a bit lost, let’s tell him the story, even though it might take a while.” Victor started telling him about the time he was playing Mitica Popescu, when we first met, then we proceeded to telling the whole tale, side by side. In a nutshell, Victor waited years, I traveled twice per day. We took pictures with my polaroid camera, but he didn’t have them with him to show them. 

“So let me get this straight, you come from 2018, right… who is president? Who is going to win the election?” Horia asked.

“I’m not sure if it’s safe to tell you. One thing I can say for certain is that everything will be alright. Oh, no, wait, 2015 will be though, but other than that, it will get better somehow. Until it won’t and corruption will creep in but justice shall prevail.” It had just occurred to me that the Colectiv fire did not happen and there was nothing I couldn’t do to alter the timeline. I dissociated for a bit, due to the sadness of the event. Felicia asked if I was alright, to which I nodded as a reply. 

“Okay… I’m not sure of how this thing exists, time travelling and such, but I will try my best to comprehend.”

“Well then, let’s talk business, shall we?” I said, smirking like a mafia boss in the movies.

We all sat at the round table to discuss the next things that had to be done. First off was the book problem, how would that novel get to me? “This book right here is the answer, but what if we reproduce it… or rather… we create it?”

Horia took several snapshot with his phone for future references, turning the book on various sides to get a clearer perspective. “Are you referring to writing it from scratch?”

“Precisely. See… the title must be ‘Victor Manolache - 60 years of excellent performances’ and on the cover we will have a photo of him in 2017. Does that sound good?” I got loads of ‘thumbs-up’s. “Oh, also, there is no author so that I can’t track down who made this book and I have to get to this exact moment.”

“I’m pretty sure that you’re cursing yourself as we speak.”

“Yeah, but you got to admit it: it’s a great plan! This way, I stay focused on what I have to do and don’t go searching for an author.”

Horia asked: “Any ideas where I could print this as a book?”

It took me a while to think of a good place, quality and price wise. “‘Printoramma’, I know because someone published their book independently and asked us to do their launch event. You should read the book, by the way, it’s called ‘At 7 PM I’ll call from India’.”

Felicia followed: “Which shows should we include, and what about the pictures?”

“Well, you can take some snapshots of the pages as well if you like. We have the following shows: ‘Mitică Popescu’, ‘The Lower Depths’, ‘Idolul and Ion Anapoda’, ‘Here’s the woman that I love’, ‘Hamlet’, ‘No Exit’, ‘A Lost Letter’, ‘Public Opinion’, ‘Waiting for Godot’, ‘The Visit’, ‘Titanic Walz’, ‘The Name of the Rose’, ‘Exit the King’. Add a wedding photo between ‘No Exit’ and ‘A Lost Letter’. Also, for ‘Exit the King’ it is a picture from the rehearsals so the printing must happen a few days before I go and buy it.”

Horia started writing a memo on his phone, more like a reminder to take the manuscript to the printing shop. “But… can’t we include more photos so that you can visit us more often?”

“As much as I would love to, I can only do a number of trips in the past, plus, we must NOT bend the timeline.”

“Alright, alright…” Victor seemed disappointed, but, hey, at least he tried. I bet he was hoping for a few visits after that kiss. Oh, no, not this again. Please get out of my head, thought. Thank you.

Felicia asked the important question: “And how would the novel get in your possession?”

“We place it on the counter before the play starts, we talk to the cashiers not to sell it to anyone but Olivia.” Victor added.

“That sounds brilliant, dad! We have to give them a photo of Olivia.” Felicia exclaimed. 

“That would be easy, taking a polaroid on the day of rehearsals, I will make sure that I will wear the same outfit that I will have then. They just have to pretend like I am a normal customer.” I took out my Polaroid camera and gave it to Felicia so that we can get a snapshot for this certain year. I pretended that I was kissing Victor’s cheek and he made a funny face. “Aw, this was the last one. The last one in the time travelling series.”

The younger man took his eyes off his phone for a bit. “How many copies should we make of the book?”

“Only one so that other people can’t get it! It has to look something like this, okay?”

They all approved the plan and we were ready to make it happen. The only problem was that they should be reminded of it so that they wouldn’t forget. I had another idea: “I will try my best to return in the morning of ‘Exit the King’, right after you take the photo.”

“And after we take the picture, I will add it as fast as I can to the existing manuscript and have it printed ASAP. Good, I’ll schedule then a call one day before with the printing shop, to let them know that we need only one item.”

“How will we make sure that we won’t forget all this?”

The man held up his phone and said: “I have it on my google calendar and I just sent an email to my account in the future on this website called ‘future.me'. Whenever I have something super important to do in a few years time, I use this as a backup, with the condition to use the same email I have as we speak. Thus, I promise to use this address and this address only, pinky promise, whatever, you name it.”

Wrapping up the plan, each of us repeated what they had to do, from proposing this play to be reenacted, to the costumes and decor, to even showing up. Victor looked at the watch on the wall behind him, took my hand and kissed it. “Until next time.” He smiled and left for the auditorium. I also got my stuff ready to leave, Felicia and I laughed at Horia, saying: “Want to see a magic trick?”, and gone I was. In 2018, Victor, Felicia and Horia were waiting for me with a bottle of white wine. 

“We thought it would be best to celebrate now, before the last journey. Of course, I won’t be drinking, as I am your designated driver.” Horia opened the bottle and poured the wine in 3 plastic cups. He was having a glass of sparkling water, though. 

“Obviously, we will celebrate tomorrow as well, if you are up for it.” Felicia added.

“Great point. Although, I am a tad bit hungry…”

Victor pulled out a pack of cheese crackers. “Have no fear, these go well with the wine. Grown up catch up, if you may.”

There was nobody in the auditorium and we sat on the stage, drinking from out plastic cups and munching on the crackers. We talked about the time I surprised each of them, Horia remembered it clearly, his girlfriend was too young to make up all the details. The actor got everything right, as if it was yesterday when we have met. For me it was, sort of. I thought of his costume, of how young he was and nervous to get up on that stage. I saw the evolution of a great actor as a time-lapse. Cheers to that, good luck for tomorrow. The rest of the evening was a chilled one for me, I got home safely and decided to take a long, relaxing shower, to watch some random old TV Sketches with people I have met along the way and go to the land of dreams later on. I was proud of them and I missed them so. Please, don’t mess up tomorrow’s plans.


	18. Chapter 18

I couldn’t sleep a wink, I was either too excited about tomorrow or terrified that it will be over. The thought of a twist of fate made me nauseous. I got up at 4 AM, made myself some instant coffee and I sat by the window. There were only a few lights at this hour, either people like me who couldn’t sleep, some that were preparing for bed or getting ready for a new day. I was maybe a combination of those three, as I did not know what to do. My brain wasn’t feeling tired but my body was. The coffee didn’t help me decide. What I did, on the other hand, was read from Victor’s book ‘This is the woman that I love’, and I remembered how lovely the play was. I felt bad that everything was coming to an end, but happy that I could be a part of it. It definitely made me embrace my feelings and control my anxiety in certain moments. It made me face my fears and stand up for myself and others. Honestly, I should feel proud of myself because this ‘out of office’ has been productive. In the time span of 60 years for someone I have achieved a lot, you can say that I have lived a lot in these few days. I have made new friends that helped me discover who I really am… I’m a lucky girl. Needless to day, the coffee really didn’t help because I have fallen asleep with the book on my chest. I dreamt scenes from the play as I have seen them, that made me very nostalgic.

I woke up for good at about 7, my coffee was still drinkable, thank goodness. Stretching for 2 minutes, shower, breakfast consisting of a cheese and ham sandwich. It was Friday, marking one week of knowing the famous actor Manolache, I couldn’t believe it. I was a very lucky girl, to get close to such important figures of Romanian theatre. What if I could shift my career interests in this direction, like Victor was suggesting. Ah, but they wouldn’t let me go from my actual job. Such a bummer. I got dressed, I was grateful for ‘past-me’ for washing my clothes, otherwise I wouldn’t have what to wear today. Took the bus, my soundtrack was just a selection of random songs on Spotify. No coffee today, just focusing on what I had to do. I stopped in front of the building to admire the hydrangeas, remembering that time when Victor got me one and when I got one for Felicia. It’s odd how things come full circle. 

“Good morning, traveller. I see that you are dressed for the occasion.” Victor greeted me. 

“Always ready to look good. Shall we?”

We went inside the building and stopped on the hallway to discuss a few other things that I should be taking into consideration. “It might seem like you won’t do much this round but sit and wait, but it is a crucial step in the timeline. You needn’t meet with your past self, we don’t know what will happen if you do that, so it’s best to stay away from… yourself.”

I tried to memorise the steps. “Okay, so, not make myself seen by my past self. Got it. What’s next on the list of things I must do?”

“You will spot Angela in the hallway trying to kick you out of the theatre, but you will distract her attention. Try to bring her to the right corridor, as you are looking at the theatre, precisely where the time ‘warp’ is. That means you’ll have to do some running for your life.” When he said that, I could feel my heart in my stomach. “Very important.” He added. “At one point you will have to yell after me twice so that I can come out of my dressing room and see what happened. That will throw Angela off, she will try to explain what she saw to me and I will pretend like that is extreme nonsense, sending her home. to get some rest That will buy you time to time travel for the first round, I’ll come back with Horia to stop the panic attack, don’t you worry.”

That sounds like an awful lot to do, I hope I won’t mess it up. Something tells me that I will be trusting my intuition. “Will you be here, in the theatre, when I return? We ought to celebrate.”

“For sure, but I have some meetings scheduled by Angela about her manuscript and other admin stuff. The deadline is drawing close.”

Angela again. I wasn’t feeling envious or anything, I just didn’t have a good feeling about her. “Do you think she did that on purpose? Flood your schedule with meetings?”

Victor raised an eyebrow. “Olivia, really now. She might not be good at tolerating certain behaviours, but she is alright.”

“I’m just saying.” I put my hands up in the air as if I was surrendering. “Is her manuscript done, by the way?”

“Oh, yes, finally, yet I don’t understand why it seems familiar, I am sure that I’ve told you this before… Can’t quite put my finger on it…”

“How crazy would it be if it was inspired by something else that you have read before?”

He shrugged. “I mean, as long as it isn’t the exact same idea…” I hugged myself and he seemed to notice this. “Are you okay?”

“All of this is crazy. I am going back one last time, back when it all started. When I looked at the hydrangeas I thought about how funny life it that it all comes full circle. What will we do afterwards? How will our life look like? I often wonder why, of all the people, was I ‘the chosen one’. Why not Angela or let’s say… another girl, or maybe a boy, we don’t discriminate on these grounds.”

Manolache looked at me with his green eyes and said, dramatically. “I honestly wouldn’t have wanted anyone else in this story, we make a great team, you and I. Plus, from now on I guess the times will be uncertain for all of us, we won’t know what’s going to happen, but we have a strong bond.”

That made me feel a bit more confident and I let go of myself, trying to stand up straight and inhale and exhale. Anxiety, don’t ruin this, let me concentrate, or, better yet, don’t show your face around here! It was super important to get everything right and get back safely… He walked with me towards the women’s bathroom, I took out the book and found the portrait taken a week prior. 

“By the way, I liked the show, even if I have seen less than half of it.” Off to the 17th of August 2018 I was. Now, I don’t normally do this, but something told me I should do it - I folded the corner of the page, for future references. Don’t want to drop the book or get caught trying to escape by getting the right section. What I saw was chaos. A lot of people could be seen running around the hallways, trying to get a hold of someone. I was very confused, and even stepped back, almost exiting the timeline, but nobody seemed to notice that I was there. Random employees of the theatre passed me by with props. I was a bit anxious to go forward, but I had to find a familiar face. It took me a while to spot Felicia and Horia, who were, themselves, running from one point to the other. 

“Olivia! You’re here! Are you alright? You look worried.”

“I’m here for the premiere. Look, I even dressed up for the occasion.” I say, bobbing a curtsy. “Where is Victor?”

“Ah, I’m afraid he’s really busy with rehearsals and right after that, makeup. It’s a bit hectic out there with the actors and the team right now. It IS a big deal after all, 60 years on stage…” Felicia said.

I turned to Horia, who was checking his phone every few seconds. “Is the book ready?”

“I just came back from the printshop and left the book on the merchandise table. I explained to the ladies what you look like and they asked for a picture, though…”

I took my camera out and handed it to him. “No worries, they will get it.” I posed and got my picture taken.

“Excellent, I’ll head right now down to the merchandise area.”

“Horia, wait!”

He turned around immediately. “Yes?”

“Can you also let Victor know that he needs to remain in his dressing room the whole time until I will call him? I need to go and distract Angela before she discovers me and my family.”

“Will do, going right now! I shall see you later when I will re-introduce myself to you.” He gave me the ‘thumbs up’ and gone he was. Felicia excused herself as her own phone was ringing, there was a problem with one of the actresses’ costumes. She hugged me tightly and told me that everything is going to be fine and to trust my gut. 

All by my lonesome, I wandered up and down the corridor, impatiently waiting for this crazy episode to be over. The employees went to the auditorium and soon, I was alone. People started to enter through the main door, including myself, my mother and my aunt. My heart started racing like crazy, it’s bizarre to see yourself like that, I was afraid that I was dissociating. Was THAT how I looked like? I mean, I saw myself daily in the mirror, but it was super weird. I was reliving the moment where my mum was praising Victor’s career and all of a sudden I remembered that it was time - she asked for ‘souvenirs’. I started looking around like a madwoman, searching for a sight of Angela. Ah, there she is, by the entrance! Oh, snap, she was going to get me, look at her march like an angry elephant. I’d better stop her before she grabs me by the hair, throws a tantrum and kicks me out. “Trust your gut”, said Felicia. Yelling… yelling always works. “Hey, Angela! Angelaaaa! Over here!” I yelled after her. Great, now she turned around and searched for the voice that was calling her. Nobody else noticed that there were two Olivias in the same room, which was incredibly mind blowing. Nobody except Angela who looked like she was about to get hit by a train. She looked at the back of ‘one-week-ago Olivia’, who was purchasing the book, and right back at me. Her mouth was agape in shock, she totally forgot about ‘past me’ and drew her attention to the ‘actual Olivia’. ‘Past me’ was still browsing, not a care in the world. Joking, I was under the pressure of time, to get in the auditorium. Angela started walking towards me and that was clear for me that I should make a run for it.

Her booming voice was covering the noise coming from the main entrance. “Come back here and explain! Who the hell are you?”

I ran extremely fast, my heart beating like crazy due to the adrenaline rush. I hope my spleen won’t rupture. With my trembling fingers, I searched my bag for the book. I nearly dropped it, but, thank God I have good reflexes. I ruffled the book’s pages in desperation, searching for ‘Exit the King’. Luckily, I have left the corner of the page folded. Now I realise, maybe that DOES create chaos after all, like Karma going after you! In this scenario, an angry Angela wanted to question me and maybe, pardon my language in a crisis, whoop my butt. 

“Victor!!!! Victor!” I shrieked to alert him, to come to my rescue after I leave this timeline, as he instructed me. A door opened, and out came my actor friend, as I remembered him when we met a week ago. Our plan was working, I saw him out of the corner of my eye, walking calmly towards Angela.

“Come back!” I heard her yelling before going into the bright bathroom, literally sliding through the entrance thanks to my flats. I’m surprised I did not trip! That will make her even more confused, as the events were happening during the evening and the rooms have their lights on anyways. Bye for now, you sneak.


	19. Chapter 19

My welcome committee was nowhere to be seen. Instead, my worst nightmare at the moment unravelled - Angela was the one to see me emerge from the shining bathroom. That was extremely unexpected, since there were only three people who knew I had to return safely in the same spot. I just stared at her in disbelief, where were the others? How come none of them could wait over here? 

“Care to explain what is this grotesque show you are pulling?” She asked on a superior tone, arms crossed.

I couldn’t form a concrete answer. “Trust me, I honestly don’t know how-“

She cut me off. “That is quite the performance you pull for a stranger.”

“Where are the Manolaches, where is Horia?” I asked. I tried to leave but she kept getting in my way.

“Change of plans. Emergency meetings, apparently. This is what happens when you are quite the bright human being, but you’s know that, Olivia, am I right?”

“What are you talking about?”

Angela grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to a nearby office. In spite of my struggles, as tired as I was and her probably going to the gym more often that I was, she won in strength. She locked the door behind her. Great, now I’m trapped. “Now talk.” She ordered.

“What’s there to say? The last time I checked, which was a few seconds ago, in my head, it was none of your business.”

She smirked. “I saw the photo album one day when Mr. Manolache was not around and it was weird how you would never age. Unless you are a witch. Then I started following you around the theatre and saw that you disappeared.” 

Crap, my cover was blown! How careless were we not to think of the others that could pass by us?! “How much did you see?”

She laughed like one of those evil witches in the movies. Boy, did I anticipate what was coming… I searched my bag for my phone, unlocked it and clicked on the recording app to try and get her confessional. “Enough to form an opinion. For example, a few days ago I noticed that you were holding a book, which is why I took the liberty of borrowing it when you dropped it. I tried to rip it, seeing that it did not work for me, but it was too late. You caught me so you could have your novel back. It would have been better if I could go back in time and destroy his wife’s manuscripts. I pity him, with age he is starting to be so fragile, so frail. He didn’t even notice some were gone.”

“What have you done with them?”

“Oh, dear, I didn’t burn them or anything. They’re stashed in my home, safely. I needed some extra inspiration until the very end.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! She literally committed a felony right in Manolache’s house and had the audacity to continue asking for his help. “So you stole from him? That was your solution?! He trusted you, he though highly of you!”

“Better eliminate the competition while I’m at it. His wife’s dead anyways, he’s never read those stories so who’s going to be the original one? I have also noticed you back then, at the ‘Exit the King’ premiere. Two Olivia Săndulescu in the same building? Unbelievable! You looked lost at first, coming inside with your family. I wanted to say a few words to you, escort you out, but all of a sudden you appeared from some other part of the room and yelled after me. That I could not explain. How could you be in two places at the same time? An explanation would have been nice, you know. Running like that made it clear that you were practicing some sort of witchcraft behind everybody’s back and that you were a threat to Mr. Manolache.”

I started moving slowly towards the door, she turned after me. If she was being focused on something else, I’ll get my chance to dash. As I approached the door, I said: “Woman, you are so dumb to confess your plan to me, you don’t even realise that I pressed the ‘record’ button. Why did you think I put my hands in my pockets? Oh, dear, let’s send this to Felicia, shall we?”

“How did you-“

I shook my phone in front of her. “I know the order of my apps, I work in communication after all. It’s about everyday usage.”

She shouted and started throwing books at me. I tried my best to dodge them, while sending Felicia the audio clip. I pushed a random cart filled with novels towards her. “You bitch! You’re a filthy witch!” She shrieked. I almost got hit in the back while also trying to unlock the door. I pushed a smaller bookcase in front of her and made a run for it. The hallways seemed so long, it took me a bit to get to the main entrance. I ran for my life, but, let’s be serious, it was mostly because I hate fights and I don’t want anyone to hit me. I shouted as loud as my lungs allowed me to after the Manolaches and Horia. I could hear Angela yelling after me to ‘stop crying for attention and face her’. Thankfully, the gang showed up just in time near the entrance. 

Victor embraced me safely as I almost knocked him down. “We heard the shouting and left right away! What happened?!”

I was trying to catch my breath but the hyperventilation almost brought upon me a panic attack. “W-where were you guys?!”

“A meeting that was really unnecessary! She told us that the director was waiting for us to talk some business regarding one of her scripts, but it wasn’t quite clear and we foolishly believed her! What happened? I am asking you this once again!”

I couldn’t bare to look at her. “Sh-she saw me come back! Out of the bathroom. I thought that I lost her back then but, as it turns out, she was waiting for me in front of the bathroom, where you guys usually were.” I told Felicia to check her phone because I have sent her something. She took her cell out and played the voice recording of Angela revealing her plan. If you ask me, it was a little too easy to make her confess, all it took was a tiny shock on my side to piss her off. 

Victor shook his head and confronted her, after being silent for a couple of seconds: “Finally, I figured out why the script looked so familiar, thank you for your candour, Angela. You see, Tatiana did not want me to check out what she was working on later on in her life. When she caught me looking at one of the scripts she threw a fit and made me promise that I won’t look at them until they were 100% completed. To me, they looked ready to be transformed into actual shows. After we had our huge fight, we said that we won’t speak of this again and we made up, obviously. Sadly, she passed away in ’92 and I put away her manuscripts, never looking at them again. But… to go to such extents to assume an idea as yours… I put all my trust in your work, Angela, I should have known better…”

“You know how hard it is out there, everything has already been written! What was I supposed to do when the Odeon asks for new materials?” She questioned us, throwing her hands in the air like crazy.

“You turn them down, excuse yourself and start writing something on your own.” I find myself yelling at her, out of exasperation. She disgusted me, I wanted her gone out of my sight. She stole something from my friend and lied to everybody. How dare she still think this was okay?

“I wasn’t asking you. What do YOU know about theatre, about performing or, better yet, coming up with ideas?”

“You talk as if you had original ideas. How dare you steal from my family, from my mother?! Have you no shame, showing your face around here, around dad’s house every single day?” 

Felicia wanted to hurt Angela, but Horia grabbed her by the waist and stopped her. “Honey, it’s not worth it. Angela, the police are on their way. We have recorded proof that you stole from Mr. Manolache’s house.”

“My mother deserved so much better than being treated like this, to have her work stolen by someone like you is disgusting. No wonder you didn’t even finish school, acting like you were better than all of us.”

She turn white as a sheet. “Hey! Leave school out of this! Of course I didn’t even finish it, the teachers did not believe in me like other directors did. I had my chances and I took them, the next step could have been the National Theatre for me, but now everything is ruined!”

“It is ruined because of you, because you lied to the people that treated you nicely, you stole from Victor!” 

“Oh, shut it, you witch. I’ve had just about enough of you…” Angela wanted to slap me but Victor got hit instead. 

At that exact moment, the security guard came over with two police officers and arrested her. Victor didn’t even look at her, even if she yelled after him to forgive her, because she was aiming at me. I knew for a fact that, even if she was going to come up with the most outrageous excuse, he will never forgive her. I felt sad for every party involved. Yes, even for her, because she was so troubled, she didn’t even see the consequences of her actions, how she was hurting the ones that cared for her career. I didn’t want to image how degrading that might be for her. Now, she would have a charge sheet and I think that she will have a hard time establishing her new network, as news travels fast in this industry. She was done for, and I could feel it. 

After giving the police testimonies and sending them the recording, it was time for us to celebrate the end of this adventure. It was an extremely tiring day, even though I had to go back only once. We went to the bistro in front of the theatre and ordered a champagne and some French fries to share, so that we wouldn’t be drinking on an empty stomach. Horia, the designated driver of the group, had a glass of sparkling water, pretending that he was drinking with us. It was only the four of us in the cafe, we were lucky that there was no show tonight, even if it was a Friday, because we had to celebrate a lot of things.

“It’s been 60 years in the making, but we are here now and I owe it all to you, Olivia.” I started blushing, as I don’t think I ever got a toast in my name, especially not from an artist. “I owe you my life, seriously now. You helped my career, you got me a wife, a family. Everything a man like me wanted, it’s because of you. I have a long term friend in my life and I am so happy for this. To Olivia.”

“Here, here!” We cheered with our glasses up. This time, they were made out of crystal, not plastic. 

Felicia was very curious about something and leaned in to ask: “Which memory is your favourite, by the way?”

“I’d be tempted to say…” I winked to Victor, he knew what was up, because he hid his face. “… when I made you confess your love to Tatiana.” I could see that his face went red. “Gosh, you two were so silly, not saying anything. It was a match made in Heaven. I am sure that she is with us, spiritually speaking.”

We drank our champagne silently for a few seconds, after raising our glass, looking at the sky. Victor even spilled some of his drink on the floor, as a gesture for his beloved wife. Horia asked: “So, what are you up to next?” 

“Maybe go and get some sleep first. My muscles are aching from all that running away. Should I known that I was being chased, I should have gone to the gym the week prior. As for what I am going to do from now on, I honestly don’t know. I will, for certain, return to work on Monday, act like I have been to Therme and home with my mother, no pictures because I was too busy relaxing…”

“Sounds like a plan. By the way, would you like to work with us?”

That was surprising for me, it seems like they didn’t give up the idea. “Yeah, that would be lovely but it depends on what my company has to say, and the pricing and bla bla bla… corporate stuff.”

Felicia smiled. “I’m sure we can arrange something. The branding and social media part is not doing well at the moment and we could use a fresh perspective. Maybe we can do behind the scenes photos… oh, or even display some of my creations!”

“Honey, the costumes need to be seen first.”

She sticked her tongue out at Horia. I was fond of their love, they made such a great couple, just like Victor and Tatiana. “We have to find you a nice boyfriend that will treat you right, by the way” the daughter said.

I almost spit out the drink. What was this nonsense? A boyfriend, after all I have been through with George? “What?! No, wait, do I have a say in this? Can we just wait until I am well rested for this type of discussion? I can assure you that I am fine for now, I just need to think of the next steps in my life. My career goes first, the boys are my last priority.”

“I think that, as your oldest friend, I should have a say. What if he is as nasty as George?”

Felicia joked, pointing at her father and winking. “She does have a type…”

Did she know something?! Oh, God, I was mortified. “What is that suppose to mean? Stop it!” I couldn’t believe my ears, I just closed my eyes and covered my face.

“Okay, let’s stop the teasing and do some more cheering. To old memories and the new ones.” Victor said cheerfully.

“And to chosen family.” I thought.


	20. Chapter 20

Two weeks passed since my last time travelling experience and a lot had happened. I bet you have a lot of questions for me. ‘What happened to Angela? Is she in jail?’ Oh, well, the police searched her whole house and it turns out she even stole other items that were missing from the Manolache house hold. He was just too busy to notice they were gone. That’s what happens when you are an acclaimed actor. Anyhow, she’s on house arrest and the Manolache family even got a restraining order against Angela. Serves her right, if you ask me. I hope that she is writing her on original work and not stealing from someone else. 

As for the rest of things in our lives, I will tell you about them with Victor. One thing that I can say for certain is that Felicia and Horia are working out the details of them moving in together, and it’s good that they are working in the same place but have different tasks, because they can rant about the problems they encounter. I am currently sitting in Manolache’s living room, looking at a book by Eugene Ionesco, wondering if I can borrow it. The book had a dark green cover that matched the theme of one of the plays in it, ‘Rhinoceros’, mimicking the rough skin of the animal. I heard footsteps and put it back on the table. Victor came back into the living room, he was carrying a jug of lemonade. It was time for one of my weekly visits at his house. Away from the heatwave we stood, in the living room, reminiscing of our adventures and doing the week’s retrospective. I helped him pour the liquid into the crystal glasses, then we cheered for our health. “You can borrow it, if you like. Maybe we can re-enact it with some of the younger actors, and you would need some Ionesco knowledge.” He said, picking up the book.

“I am already taking it with me, thank you very much. Here’s last week’s read.” I say, trying to give him back the novel he bought 50 years ago. We had this new tradition, besides the visits. We discussed upon the plays I was reading, one book per week, the materials were coming from Victor’s personal library.

Surprised, he pushed the book back to me. “That’s yours, Olivia, how many times should I tell you? It is an inscribed copy. Ah, yes, speaking of which, we should cover ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ soon. So, anything new happened that we did not talk about on the phone?” Yes, we were speaking on the phone as often as we could, especially in my work breaks. Vivi jokes and calls him my ‘sugar daddy’, but that is extremely gross and I don’t even want to think about it anymore. He’s just letting me borrow books and we talk about it face to face over lemonade, tea or whatever beverage we can find. No money or… services are involved. 

“I met with George.” My confession was out. I started ruffling Ionesco’s book’s pages, not looking at my conversation partner.

“Really? How come? I could have sworn that you didn’t want to see his face again, and the feeling might have been mutual.”

I started explaining the whole thing to him. After we were finished with the celebrations, I decided to be the bigger person and invite George for a talk. It took me a while to muster up my courage to call him and ask him out for a lunch date. Of course, I told him to give me a sign whenever he was comfortable to talk about what happened, and that did not take him longer than one day. So we met at a cafe near Romana Square, where we usually hung out when we were seeing each other. It was a cozy and secluded place, nobody disturbed us. He told me that he still had feelings for me, to which I replied that it was the same in my case, but I couldn’t get over he fact that he ignored and gaslit me for so long, making me want to skip meals, change jobs and start over. Plus, the moment where he lashed out at me… how could I not forget to bring it up in the discussion? He smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to say. He promises once again that his relationship with Clara was an innocent friendship, but here is where my courage had an important role. I confessed that, while I was still fond of him, I did not see any future together and I can’t get over what happened, not yet at least. We were not good for each other and we were hurting one another. He nodded, he was lost for words, maybe he was expecting us to try dating again. It was off the table by the time we finished our iced tea. I assumed my own mistakes anyways, but did not want to cover his anymore. We parted ways and promised that we will get in touch once in a while, at least after the awkward phrase fades out. George hasn’t reached out yet, if you are asking.

“Wow, now that was something unexpected to happen. I am proud of you for having the initiative to talk.” Victor raised his lemonade glass. “If I were George’s age I wouldn’t have asked to talk and I would harbour feelings without saying anything.”

“Yeah, thanks. It wasn’t easy, I was afraid that he would lash out again. People bottle up anger and unleash it when you least expect it. I’m not victim here, it’s just that it was something hard to process in the past.”

“That’s why it’s in the past! Gone, but not forgotten, you must draw some conclusions and use them in the future.”

I drank from the sweet and sour beverage and looked at him. “What about Angela?”

“What about her?”

“‘Gone, but not forgotten’ you say…”

Victor cleared his voice and said, with a serious voice: “Yes, about that… I guess it should also be valid in this case. I mean, if I see Angela, yes, I will have a chat with her. She was a bit lost in her life, everything was overwhelming for her. I still don’t understand why she had to steal from me, of all people. It hurts thinking that my own wife has been robbed and had it not been for her confession, Angela would have gotten away with someone else’s ideas.”

I fell silent for a while. Of course I pitied her, I wonder what went wrong in her past that made her act like this. What makes a good writer good, what makes a great play great? Would her version of the story be better than Tatiana’s? Impossible, Tatiana was no fraud. I have yet to read what she came up with, but I am 100% sure that she was a talented writer unlike some thieves. The actor refilled the glasses with lemonade and went up to his library. Then, he got out a photo album that contained all our polaroids. There they were - my one week memories, 60 years of his memories, stashed in a tiny album, in a perfect condition. I smiled, looking at them, they meant so much to me. Now here’s a vacation I’ll remember for the rest of my life, but it was my secret anyways. 

“You can have the album, it’s yours. I’ve looked at these pictures over half a century now.” He said nonchalantly. 

“What?! But they are yours, I specifically gifted every single photo to you! I can’t have them, they are yours!” I protested.

“They were, but not anymore. I am returning them to the original owner.” 

I couldn’t argue with him, it was just like the book discussion back in the day. I still had the dried up hydrangea and it did not turn into dust. It sits tall and pretty next to Camil Petrescu’s book that I got as a gift from Victor years back. I cherish it and it makes my day better, looking back at what have I achieved. I started checking out each and every single picture and he suddenly broke my concentration with an important question. “Say, are you excited to work together again?”

“You bet. Let’s get things done, shall we?” I literally cracked my knuckles saying that.

“We shall, and the first task will be to stage Tatiana’s play. You’ll probably get to do the press release as well.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll enjoy it anyways. I’m thinking that it’s mainly in Tatiana’s honour.” I said, sipping from the glass of lemonade. In just three weeks, I got a new project and new close friends. I wasn’t forgetting about my old trusty group, I was still going to meet with them afterwards. “Time, kind sir?”

“Oh, you’ve got plenty, you won’t be late to the meeting. That I can promise. Do you at least want some sugar cookies?”

I looked at him seriously. “No, I won’t have any, because I will spoil my appetite. And, yes, I AM eating well, no need to ask me.”

“Then what will you having today as a break… wait, as lunch… brunch?” It was sweet of him for caring like that about me, but sometimes it was suuuper annoying.

By the way, Horia got to talking with the theatre’s director and they reached out to my company, asking if it was possible to collaborate. They discussed various things that go behind the scenes and I got assigned to help out. I start on Monday and I am very excited about that, really. No, I’m not leaving the company, I am on a project with the ‘Metronomul’. I got to learn so many thing about theatre by accidentally time travelling a whole week, it’s insane to even think about this. I honestly didn’t think that someone’s success would be attribute to someone like me, I don’t want to take credit for it, because it is the actor that works hard after all. Come to think of it, I was more of a compass in his life. The metaphors are strong today for some reasons that I cannot explain. 

I said ‘no lunch’ to Victor because I already skipped breakfast and I was having a ‘brunch’ discussion with Teo, Alex and Bobby at Simbio. Our meeting had the same format as the one with Victor, minus the things that I have been experiencing with the theatre squad. When it was about 10:45, I had to leave to catch the bus to get to Unirii and then walk for a few minutes. Already know what I’m going to have and that is banana pancakes. Or maybe the English Breakfast… hm… decisions, decisions. We parted ways by hugging it out, it’s great that he was a hugger, because I myself am a selective one, mind you. I don’t embrace people unless we have a meaningful connection, so he was not hug deprived for that matter. 

I looked back at him waving at me from the doorway, the same way that I was accustomed to when I left for 2018. It was a year that did not flop, as the second half of it was extremely exciting and I (okay, I can’t believe I am saying this) was looking forward to Monday.

——  
Thank you so much for reading this and actually finishing the story! It means so much to me! I am overwhelmed by the thought that people have invested time in getting to know my characters and be part of this amazing journey. 

Some background info: I started writing this in summer 2020, then I took a tiny hiatus (and due to a massive writer’s block), then started writing again in November for NANOWRIMO. Not sure how that project goes on their website, I’ll find out pretty soon, but it definitely showed me that I can concentrate on something for so long. I am writing essays faster now and it is so cool, I cannot believe that I am doing it, haha! It is a great exercise, creating a world like this. I highly recommend you do it as well. By the way, if you have a story that you want to share, let me know, I would really like to read it. 

I know that I should have taken some time to develop the characters more and that some paragraphs are poorly written, but it’s just the first draft after all. It’s exciting to see how a story unfolds while writing it, and it’s crazy to think that a story is finally out of your mind in a written form (over 50000 words, oh my God!). My characters looked a bit different at the beginning, but now they are like… ‘fully grown’ if I can say so. Some things are inspired by events and people in real life, but, for obvious reasons, I won’t say who or what. Not everything you read is exactly as it happened.

Once again, I am grateful that you have stuck until the end. It means that I wasn’t alone in this which is amazing!


End file.
